Evening star., 1942-02-22
Allies Strike at Japs off java
Sink or Damage 13 EnemyVesseIs;
U.S.. Acts to Clear Shipping Lanes
Americans, Dutch
Unite in Strong
Offensive
By the Associated Press.

ny Tue hSoOSldtCu IIcoos
BATAVIA, Netherlands Indies,
Feb. 21.-American and Dutch
warships and warplaneS, on the
offensive in what promises to be
their most powerful joint effort
so far, are smashing Japanese
invasion fleets off the eastern
and western ends of Java.
(At least five Japanese cruisers,
three deStroyers and five trans
ports were sunk or damaged, in
the battle overlapping communi-
ques indicated. Enemy losses
may have been greater)
So vast and overlapping were the
air and sea blows in defense of this
island stronghold of the United Ma
tions that an accurate accounting
of the successes already scored was
impossible, but at least one cruiser
was blown up, two destroyers sunk
and several other warships damaged.
Although successive communiques
here and in Washington today told
of at least 18 separate bomb, tor
pedo or cannon blows on japanese
ships it was probable that several
Of the ships had figured in more
than one of the attacks.
Others Damaged.
In addition to the cruiser blown
up, two cruisers and two destroyers
certainly were damaged in a naval
battle Friday night of Bali. at the
eastern end of Java, when Dutch
cruisers and Dutch and American
destroyers attacked, Netherlands
communique declared. Early radio
announcements that the Allies lost
a destroyer in the action was not
borne out by later communiques.
American dive bombers, four-mo-
tored warplanes and fighters, with
their Dutch allies, meanwhile re-
peatedly blasted Japanese warships
and transports with the fuzzy OF a
prodded hornets nest.
In action from Bali to the Musi
River in Sumatra they stopped one
cruiser with their bombs, damaged
two others with direct hits, scored
on two destroyers, sank one trans
port and damaged seven other trans
port or supply vessels with direct
hits and near misses.
Allied submarines also proWled the
shark-infested waters about the
japanese. Rip tides and treacherous
surf also impeded the enemy's land
ing attempts at Bali, the once peace
full little island just to the east OF
Java.
Operations Off Denpasar.
The announcement Of air actlvi-
ties placed the japanese landing
operations off Denpasar, on the
Southeast Bali coast, the only pro-
tected harbor of the island. The
south coast is pounded by surf and
the north coast is swept by the
monsoon.
(The Japanese, who claimed
two Allied destroyers were sunk,
a third heavily damaged and two
cruisers chased away in the
night naval battle with four
Japanese cruisers, fixed the loca-
tion of that action also in the
ao-mile-wide Lombok Strait be-
tween Bali and Lombok Island
to the east.)
The battle was the first in which |
Dutch cruisers have participated in
the war, and was hailed here as in
dicating that the greatest fight OF
the war in the Indies, exceeding
even the four-day running battle
of Macassar Straits, was rapidly
developing.
1t was regarded here as clear
refutation of Japanese claims OF
February 6 to sinking two Dutch |
cruisers and Gripping OF a tnlro,
which the Japanese said amounted
(See INDIES, Page A-140