The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-08
JAPAN ATTACKS
 BRITISH MALAYA
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estimated 60 persons were killed and i33 wounded when Japanese planes bombed Singapore without hitting the naval base.
 The Japanese afsected . landing osl the Malaya coast, . few miles from the Thailand frontier, ta the dark hours of early morning. Brit. lsh empire forces, under the sup. port of airplanes, were fighting them in hand to hand action on the beaches.
 At the same time, Japanese troops landed at Singapore, on the East ThAiland coast i40 miles to the north where they were opposed by Thai troops.
 Attacks UnpFOvOked
 Gov. Sir Shenton Thomas, de- nouncing the attacks as unprovoked, said tho Japanese force which lands cd troops on the Malaya coast con- sisted of c cruiser, four destroyers, an armed merchantman and . transport.
 It was asserted officially that all the Japanese craft had retired ct high speed under fire and the Jap. nese troops, left battling for posl- tions. were under deadly machine gun fire.
 (C1S quoted the British radio as saying that Japanese troops had landed ct Patani, 60 miles north ot the Malaya border, as well aS ct Singora.
 (Tt was asserted also that c Jap. anese landing attempt in British North Borneo, between Malaya and the Philippines, had been beaten off)
 (The British radio was quoted that Japanese cruiser, four dc. DtroyerS, an armed nierchantInan and ono other vessel were sighted off Cocos Island in the Bay of Bengal, within striking distance of Rangoon, Thalland and the west coast of Malaya.)
 It was said officially that only a few bombs were dropped on Singa. pore Island and the Kelantan air. dFolne and that there were no cas- ualties ct the aiFdrome.
 Two waves of raiders came over, ct an estimated height of l7,000 feet, There were six bombing planes in the first wave and five In the second.
 Shanghai, Dec. e.-(UP)-The Brl- tlsh gunhoat Petereal sank In the Whangpoo river off the Shanghai waterfront under blasting Japanese fire today and the United States communications ship wake, it's crew overwhelmed % 1t lay ct anchor, was captured.
 Lieut.. Comndr. John polklnhorne 63, British naval reservist and c former Tientsin river pilot who com- manded the Peterel, was believed with most of his crew, to have gone down with his ship.
 The Petereal openel fire, under odds 1t knew were hopeless, wher the Japanese ordered 1t to surrender
 The Wake had no chance to fire The Japanese, in q sudden attack as they took over the water front oi the International settlement of which the two tiny gunboats were anchored, boarded 1t and forced iti surrender.
 At 6 6. m. Wakes lights were ablaZe, as debris from the furiously burning Petereal floated by.
 Japanese gunboats had opened direct fire on the Petereal, which had very light armament and only haR It's crew aboard.
 Jap Flag Over Wake
 The Japanese flag was raised over the Wake.
 American service officers here ex- pressed belief that the Japanese probably had sunk or seized the American Liner President Harrison which was believed to have beer somewhere off the mouth of the Yangtze river in the Shanghai area on it's way to Chingwangtao in the north to pick up 203 marines, await ing evacuation.
 Japanese marines debouched along the international settlement water front. the control of which Japan had long sought, as the Japanese gunboats opened fire on the Petereal
 They strung field telephones along the water front as a Japanese de- stroyer drew up to dock.
 It was noticed that there were two large holes in the strees, apparently the result of excited wild firing by Japanese gunboats in hteir battle with the Petereal.
 The American radio station broad cast orders from the United States consulate to Americans not to move | kt,a sakklaVaaVaf