Evening star., 1942-02-01
Furious Battle Rages
As Jap Forces Pound
Amboina, Indies Base
Dutch, Ashore. Race With
Time to Loy Woste
VitoI Facilities - n
BY the Associated Press.

Jan. 31.-A furious battle on
land, sea and in the air famed
today between the Dutch de-
tenders of Amboina, the Neither
lands Indies second naval base,
and a Japanese invasion force
which struck with great strength
into the strategic bastion on the
archipelago's eastern flank.
Can Australian communique
said Japanese troops were trying
to clinch q beachhead from a
fleet of four transports, three
cruisers and six destroyers)
While the transports edged close
to shore, Japanese cruisers and de-
stroyers poured shells into the
island; bombers and fighters pound
ed Amboina port itself In furious
force and, . communique said. The
battle was raging everywhere"
Ashore the Dutch were engaged
In race with time to lay waste the
facilities which-in the hands of the
enemy-could menace the main In
dies-Australian communications of
the United Nations and facilitate
invasion of Java and North Aus
tralia.
Vital Points Destroyed.
Flames from demolitions on the
island licked at the sky and it was
announced officially that "all pre-
paratory destruction of vital points
in Amboina and vicinity was ordered
and Immediately carried out"
The island is in the Molucca group
which forms a barrier between the
Molucca passage from the north and
the Banda Sea to the south. On
the west is Celebes; on the east,
New Guinea. The Australian naval
base of Port Darwin is 634 miles to
the southeast, Java not much
farther to the southwest and the
island of Timor lies only $50 miles
distant.
BY Thursday it was apparent
from reconnaissance that the Japa-
nese, bleeding from the pounding
they received at the hands of Dutch
and American planes and warships
in their abortive attempt to force
the strait of Macassar, direct route
to Java, were maneuvering for a
thrust down the Molucca passage.
In the MacaSsar waters to the
west Japanese armada had been
battered and halted with nearly
two score Warships or transports
sunk or damaged and its only
achievement an empty invasion Of
Balik Papan, East Borneo oil port
where the japanese found oil fields
and ref1nerieS in embers from the
torch of the Dutch scorched earth
policy.
Two-Hour Assault by Japs.
The first attack on Amboina be-
gan yesterday morning with two
hours of assault by Japanese bomb
ers and machine-gunning fighters.
A church and school were de-
stroyed and radio station damaged
slightly. but the population escaped
casualties.
Amboina's =. destruction squads,
well informed of what was in store
by scouting Dutch and Australian
aircraft. sprang quickly to execu-
ton of the well-Iaid demolition
plans which have been part Of
the grim defense of every important
Indies base since the fall of the
homeland.
BY the time the enemy's trans
port fleet was spotted of the island
the work was well along toward
completion.
At l pm. yesterday the jap
anese warships and invasion liners
could be seen from Amboina, the
city on the south coast of the
island.
I'm the evening, the enemy be-
gan the real attack" the Neither
lands command announced. AT sew
eral points along the coast cruisers,
destroyers and transport ships were
lying. while on various places de-
struction was still burning.
This morning at $40 enemy ships
and aircraft were shelling and bomb
ing the island and the battle was
raging everywhere"
This was the fifth enemy invasion
front in the Indies, and by far the
most strategically important. Other
Japanese footholds in the Dutch
possessions are at Balik Papan; the
oil island of Tarakan. off North
Borneo; the Minahassa Peninsula of
North Celebes and Pemangkat, on
Dutch West Borneo. The enemy also
occupies Sarawak, British North
west Borneo.
Today there were reports Of new
japanese air raids from Sumatra
to Celebes, one of them on the
Borneo airdrome at Banjermasin,
300 miles northeast of Soerabaja,
Java, the Indies principal naval
base. Moreover, a transport trans
ferring German internees from the
Indies to British territory was the
target of unspecified Japanese ac-
ton" which, an official announce
ment said, killed and wounded a
great many Of Japan's allies.
A Dutch warship, maintaining the
Netherlands armed forces schedule
of hitting one enemy ship almost
every day, sank a japanese subma-
rine in Indies waters.
In Java, the United Nations COM
mander, Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell,
toured the military bases about
which the final defense of the Indies
will be centered.