The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-02-10
STRATEGIC BASE
| OF JAVA PRESSED
CONTINUED from Page u


oil industry, and over northern Su-
matra, the Aneta News agency said,
emphasizing that today's develop
ments meant that the final on
slaught is imminent" against the
island Of Java.
The agency said that there was
some damage in the vicinity Of
Malang airdrome in east Java as
a result of the enemy bombing and
there were some casualties, includ-
ing one dead.
The Japanese raid on Batavia
yesterday resulted in destruction of
some allied planes on the ground
and started oil fires that sent up
a big cloud of smoke. There were
some casualties, including one dead
at one of two airdromes near Bat
avia.
Can all India radio broadcast
heard by Columbia Broadcasting
system reported new Japanese
bombing attack on Batavia this
morning, with bombs dropped in
the center OF the city and in the
harbor area)
Describing the attack on the Bat
avia airdromes yesterday, the An
eta agency said that six or seven
aircraft approached from the east
and machine gunned the Kema-
joran airport buildings from an alti-
tude of Is to so yards. The attack
10 Anl - tn,
Dutch fighters drove off the en-
envy planes after fighting in which
one or two were destroyed.
Little Hope of Holding
Officials here indicated little hope
that the Dutch defenders of Ma
CAESAR or Bandjermasin could hold
out long.
AS the Japanese made their new
landing, their patrols were moving
down the east coast of Borneo across
the Macassar strait, in what was
now plainly a threat to take both
Macassar and Bandkermasin, on
the southeast coast of Borneo.
Macassar is 500 miles northeast
of Soerabaja, the great naval and
air force base at the eastern end
of Java, and Bandjermasin is only
300 miles from 1t across the Java
sea.
There is 4OO-mile strip of strait
between Macassar and Bandjer-
maSin.
Today's communique, released
through the Netherlands Indies
News agency, revealed that jap
anese troops were filtering down
the west coast of Borneo as well as
the east coast.
The west coast troops were COM
ing from the Pontianak area, but
the grave threat was presented by
those who on the east coast were
moving on Bandjermasin from the
Balik Papan area, only H5 miles
up the coast.
Macassar had been evacuated by
all women and nearly all male CIV
ilians in expectation OF Japanese
attack as first move against Java
and 1t is indicated that strong de-
Tense forces faced the enemy.
Today's communique, as released
through the Netherlands Indies
News agency, was:
Enemy Is Landing
Enemy landings have started on
southwest Celebes, in the vicinity
of Macassar. Destruction which had
been ordered has been carried out.
The invaders are meeting with
strong resistance.
| Yesterday morning raid was
carried out on east Java by 20
Japanese bombers. The main OBJ
jective was the airdrome Of NAL
ang. No damage was done to the
airdrome, but in the vicinity some
hits were scored which caused some
damage. One person was killed and
some persons were wounded.
I'm the course of an air fight
near Soerabaja a large enemy bomb
Ell was shot down. There were no
losses on our side.
'As a result of an attack by en-
erpy fighters on airdromeS near
tavia these airdromes were
slightly damaged, while some planes
were destroyed on the ground. Oil
and petrol fires caused large
cloud of smoke. Some persons were
killed and soA.e were wounded. At
Il st one, and probably two, jap
anese Planes were shot down.
Some enemy reconnaissance has
been carried out near Tjepoe, east
Java, and also over north Su-
matra. Slight infiltration by small
enemy patrols continues In south
east and southwest Borneo. One
Amboina island resistance Is still
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