The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-12

GA national Broadcasting Com .pany reporter at Manila said 1t had been officially confirmed that the Kong class battleship hit by U, S, bombs was the Kongo itself. He reported that the Japanese sent at least 1i3 hombers over the Philip I, pines today, attacking various ob. tectives including an airfield ct .as 6atanga)
 The attack on Batanga was car- ried out by two flights of 27 Jap aneSe bombers each, the Philippines constabulary reported. There were a number of casualties, 1t was re- ported.
 .- Mania was on virtual full war footing today.
 All Axis aliens were placed in protective custody and decision was being pondered concerning ac- ton against Spanish Nationals and members of the Falange Fascist party.
 Japanese Made off Then Hart asserted that surface ships of the Asiatic fleet had con- tacted the enemy fleet at a con- siderable distance from Manila but the Japanese made off and a fight did not develop.
 (The Navy Department eommuni- que No, 3 on the Pacific war said: C"The navy department an- nounced that Adm, Thomas c. Hart, U. S. navy, commander in chief. United States ASiatic fleet, has reported that navy patrol planes scored bomb hits on Japanese battleship of the Kongo class off the coast of Luzon, The ship was badly damaged,
 ("This Is the second Japanese battleShip to be bombed effectively by the United States forces,O
 Tho army announced that Capt, Colin Kelly, Jr,, who scored the three direct hits which sank the first battleship, had been killed In action.
 Kelly, 2e, at native of Florida, has given his life to win America's first outstanding naval victory of the Pacific war.
 A graduate of Florida University, he graduated from West Point only four years ago. He graduated from the primary flying school of the Rrmy in 1888 and from the ad- vanced flying school, hombardment course, in 1889. He was accepted as @ combat pilot in September i04o nnd had served in Hawaii before he was assigned to the Philippines. Lieut.. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commanding the American forces in the Far East, replied today to @ message from President Roosevelt, congratulating the American forces on their defense;
 '"The Far Eastern command ap. preciates deeply your message We shall do our best"
 Manila had @ daylight air raid alarm at 9:4 a. m.
 It was announced that Axis aliens had been placed in protective cus- sody.
 Fight Is Going On
 United States and Philippines forces were reported to be fighting Japanese landing parties In the Le- gaspi area, at the southeast tip Of Luzon Island 2i0 miles from Manila, and it was admitted that Japanese troops were now in greater force in northern Luzon. ....
 Hart said the navy's CaVite base, eight miles southwest Of Manila, had been hit by powerful Jap anese airplane attack. There were extensive fires and great damage was done, he said. Small ships at the yard were also damaged.
 One bomb directly hit a diSpens- ary, Hart said, and everyone in It's was killed, including nurses and doctors. He emphasized that the dispensary was in the center of a fortified area.
 He said that loss of life figures had not been completed but that 1t was known most Of the dead were civilians.
 Hart said that submarines of the Asiatic fleet had not yet reported.
 But we expect big results" he added.
 When . torpedo hits e ship 1t stays hit"
 The submarines were the big game hunters of the fleet and they used only elephant guns, not shot guns, Hart said.
 He announced that Lieut.. IT. A. Utter had bee nattacked by three Japanese fighters. He shot down one, Hart said, and then made a forced landing, taxied his seaplane to the coast, repaired minor dam age and took off next morning, re- turning to this base.
 Jap Ship Sighted
 Describing the attack on the sec- ofid Japanese battleship, Hart said Lieut.. c. A. Keller sighted 1t off northwestern Luzon and held con- tact with 1t for a long time de. spite anti-aircraft gun fire, guid- ing the attack of bonbers led by Lieut.. Comdr. J. V. Peterson.
 The navy flyers then pressed home their attack despite heavy gun fire, he said.
 As Hart ended the press confer- ence, his first, the second air raid alarm of the day was sounded.
 An army congmunique said six a Filipino planes, attacking two Jap
 aese plane formations of 27 planes nnfh. had shot down two Japanese craft without loss to themselves.
 aA later communique said that the Kasked states air corps had de- s,faved d Japanese planes. It was understood that all were destroyed f1dav. (HBC. heard by CBS, re- norksd that they were shot down oVar Manila tnis morning. )
 aaxt said that the navy had lost .-a......n. Aun AInn N,alR saf na .