The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1942-01-31
Singapore
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OluSdpOIc
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To-day we stand beleaguered
in our island fortress"
SEIZE RESERVOIR
Japanese front-line dispatches
said the Mikado's armies had
seized control of a mainland
water reservoir serving the is
land of Singapore.
There seemed little immediate
danger. however, that Singapore,
like Hongkong, would be forced
to surrender because of water
shortage. With dense, water
catching iungles blanketing the
northwest section of the island,
Singapore has two big impound-
ing reservoirs as well as hidden
underground supplies.
The question of reinforce
ments for the beleaguered island
colony was obscured by mill
tary secrecy. Prime Minister
Churchill disclosed on Thursday
that fresh troops and war sup
plies had already arrived in Ma
laya, with others enroute. and
London and San Francisco re-
ports said that a large allied con-
voy carrying troops, planes
and war supplies to Singapore
had escaped attack by 80 Japan
csc planes when q violent rain
storm broke over the ships.
TIME ELEMENT
The time of the incident was
not given.
British headquarters said the
japanese made little effort to in
terfere with the overnight with
drawal to Singapore Island.
simultaneously. Japan struck
a new barb into the fabulous
Indies as sea-borne Japanese
troops landed on Amboina Is.
land, site of big Dutch naval
base. A furious battle was re.
ported in progress.
Amboina lies midway between
Celebes Island and New Guinea
only 635 miles north of Darwin
Australia, and IT'S miles south Of
Mindano Island in the Philip.
pines.
Australian Reconnaissance
planes sighted japanese inva.
sion convoy heading toward Am.
boina yesterday.
This morning at $40 a. m
enemy ships and aircraft were
Smelling and bombing the island
and the battle was raging every.
where" the Dutch High com.
mand reported.
The base is second only in i'm.
portance to the main Indies ma.
val stronghold at Soerabaja
Java.
ALL WITHDRAWN
British dispatches said it was
believed that all Imperial forces
had been successfully with
drawn to Singapore Island be-
fore the 60-foot-wide causeway
was preached by the Royal
Navy and Royal Air Force.
Along mile-wide strip al
ready cleared on the north shore
of the island, the British rang
ed trench mortars, machine
guns, and heavier weapons ready
to combat an imminently ex-
pected Japanese attempt to storm
across Johore Strait.
No official explanation was
forthcoming, but presumably ut
ter exhaustion of the hard
fighting "Aussies," British Tom
mics and Indian troops prompted
the decision to fall back to the
island rather than attempt new
stand on the lower tip of the
Malay peninsula.
With overwhelming superior
ity in the air and in mass fight
ing strength, Japan's invasion
hordes apparently broke through
the British defense lines Ia
miles north of Singapore some
time late yesterday.
A Tokyo broadcast said Jap
ancse troops had hurled the
last barrier" before Johore Bah
ru, where the cauSeway to Sing.
apore Island begins, and de-
clared they we're now stream.
ing toward Singapore over a
wide highway"
Lieut.. Gen. Percival issued a
dramatic rallying call to every
man and woman" of Singapore
$50, 900 population, declaring;
UNTIL HELP COMES
"Our task is to hold this fort.
ress until help can come, as as
suredly il will come. This we
are determined to do.
There is work for all to dc
ANY enemy who sets foot In