The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-17
Allies Battling To
 Protect Singapore
CcOntinued from Page D

I oficlals declared that singapore must not fall"
 The Japanese were reported using one~man tanks tn Malaya,
 Hong Kong = British defenders, bombed and shelled for four days from the mainland, were reported still holding out, although Tokyo broadoastS claimed that big fires were raging In Hong Kong, that one gunboat and six torpedo boats had been sunk and Q destroyer, two gum boats and another vessel damaged, A Chinese offensive launched from two directions on the mainland was said to be slaShlng at the Japanese rear in an etfort to relieve Hong Kong, having penetrated along the Canton railroad to ShAoan, just oUt- side Japanese-held Kowloon,
 Hawaii "A Japanese submarine shelled the port of KNhului, on Maui , island, about 100 miles southeast Of Honolulu, and enemy ships, presum- ably surface vessels, bombarded Johnston island, little naval out~ post far to the southwest Of Ha- wall. Little damage was done, the navy reported,
 Midway ISland--A United Press message from A cable company rep~ rescntative at Midway this morn- Ing said the island still was hold inH out, but gave no details,
 Baker Island tnsar Samoa) - Tokyo broadeaStS said that Japan csc forces had attacked Baker island and destroyed most of the tacilie ties" there,
 Reports circulated In London that the Portuguese island ot Macao, near Hong Kong, had been oceu. pied by Japan and that there was N possibility of Portugal being in~ volved in the war were denied by m official statement issued ct Lis bon, The statement said that tho Island had not been occupied and that the governor was in com munieation with Lisbon, On the European WNr fronts, the allies continued to report Impress Slve gains,
 In Russia, the Red army said that 1t was smashing the remnants Of the German northern armies back toward the VAldai hills at the headwaters of the VolgN after rec capturing Kiln and Kalinin, north. west of Moscow The Russian ad. vance was aS much AS 70 miles in some sectors and extended over al. most the entire eastern front,
 Four of six German divisions were smashed at Kalinln, the Moscow dispatches said, and the German 9th army was defeated as the Russ Sians swept forward under orders to "eXtermlnate" tho enemy, Josef V, StAlin was Said to be consider Ing the launching immediately of general offensive which the Red army had planned for next spring in an effort to push the Axis fore. eS out of Russia,
 Around Moscow, many scores of villages were retaken, On Monday alone, the Germans were driven from % towns and the important point Of VoloVo, 30 miles south of TulR was re-captured,
 The Russians also were attacking the Films on the LeningFad front and in the far south were fighting their way oNt from seVaStopol n the cflmea,
 Berlin admitted the strong Rus. sian attacks and said that Axis forces were falling back "to short. on their lines"
 Tn the Mediterranean area, the British reported important sue. eeSseS, An Italian submarine at. tempting to evaeuate 20 high Ital- Ian officers from the beSleged Lihy. an coastal city of Bardia was sunk and Gen, Guido Lami of tho Fas. eist army was lest, Some og 10 other officers were among 6S sur. viVors Of the submarine,
 In the Libyan desert, the Brit. iSh mechanised forces striking, to within about 3S miles of Bardia were attempting to cut the last lines of communication of Axis tank units eneireled in the Am III Qasala area, west of Tohruk, The British reported however, that their Job Of knocking out the main en. emy striking power seemed to be al- most completed aS only 10 enemy tanks were still in action In tho Gagala sector,