Evening star., 1942-02-21
u. 5. Navy Adds
To Toll Of Army
and Dutch
Other Enemy Ships
Pounded OFF Boil
In Allied Offensive
Earlier Story on Page Ally
BY the Associated Press


BY the Associated Press.
United States and Dutch war
ships, aided by dive bombers and
fighting planes, smashed back at
Japan'S invasion hordes in a
flaming sea battle off the island
of Bali today, and by latest &C
counts had already blown up a
Japanese cruiser, sunk two de-
stroyers and inflicted damaging
blows on one other cruiser, two
destroyerS and at least four
transports.
The United States Navy an
nounced this afternoon that six
American deStroyers accompanied
by Dutch warships sank two enemy
destroyers off Bali with only slight
damage to the United States vessels
and minor loss of personnel.
The War Department had an
nounced earlier that American
bombers in a series of attacks on
Japanese warships and transports
of Bali shot down four japanese
planes and scored direct hits on
three enemy cruisers and four
transports. The Dutch had an
nounced at Batavia that United
States and Dutch warships had
blown up one Japanese cruiser and
seriously damaged another cruiser
and two destroyers in addition to
transports.
Exact Count Waits.
1t was possible some of these re-
ports, especially as to damaged ships,
were overlapping. but it seemed Ger
tain that the toll was one enemy
cruiser and two destroyers sunk and
several other warships damaged.
The Navy also reported that con-
siderable equipment salvaged from
the Cavite naval base in the Philip
pines and from other sources has
been used to good advantage in the
defense of Bataan Peninsula.
Rear Admiral Francis w. Rock
well. the senior naval officer fighting
with Gen. Douglas Macarthur, re-
ported that the salvaged naval equip
ment included three and four inch
guns. Stores of gasoline, Diesel oil
and lubricating oil were saved and
are being used in field operations.
There was no elaboration of ths
terse Navy announcement of the
sinking of the japanese destroyers.
Four U. s. Planes Lost.
Four American planes were lost,
the Army reported, in the Allied
attacks in the continuing action
around Bali.
American dive bombers were re-
ported in action for the first tins
there and the American planes in
volved in the action represented the
largest number specifically men,
toned thus far in a War Depart
ment communique. At least ten
heavy bombers were in the fight off
Bali and seven dive bombers were
mentioned as being accompanied by
l6 fighter planes.
Heavy artillery firing continued
on Bataan, japanese siege guns re-
sumed fire on Manila Bay forts, and
enemy planes flying frequently
across MacArthur's lines dropped
incendiary bombs, the War Depart
ment report said.
Filipinos Resist Conquerors.
A rising tide of resistance to the
Japanese invaders in the occupied
areas of the Philippines also was re-
ported late today by the War De-
partment.
A communique said that Gen.
Douglas Macarthur had reported
that. despite harshness of Japanese
military rule, "the spirit of the
iberty-loving Filipinos remains un-
daunted." Many native informers
have mysteriously disappeared, and
a secret society known as "FFF" or
Fighters for Freedom" has been
formed to foster civilian resistance.