Imperial Valley press., 1942-03-10
Too Few Men is
Story Of Jovo

there after covering tic MalayaN
campaign.
When I left Java a week ae0 the
Dutch military command stu hoped
that it would be possible 10 EMU
late Gen. Douglas Macarthur by
making a stand on the BandoenC
plateau
The Dutch officers insisted that
the Bandoeng defenSeS o1uld be
held even against the most power
ful Japanese land forces and. on
inspection, I found the fortifica-
lions impressive However. II nov
appears that the Dutch hopes were
vain
FELT SKEPTICISM
must say Unat I felt some
skepticism over the impreenabllity
Of the Bandoene defenSeS because
of my vivid memories Of the Japa-
nese air tactics in Malaga Japa-
nese air power there vas sufficient
to overcome even powerful natural
obstacles
The trump card Of the Dutch
seemed to be their Stolid courage.
Nine days ago 7 was having break
fast in BandoengS Savoy Homann
hotel when the japanese bombers
came over for their first attack.
Nine japanese planes swooped
low over the hotel with their ma
chine guns suffering. Two Royal
Air Fcrce officers who had come
in from Malaya and three American
journalists promptly dived from
their chairs by a window toward
the shelter. Nearby a placid Dutch
wife calmly drained the last coffee
from her cup rounded up brood
of five children and quietly herded
them toward the shelter.
LITTLE AID GIVEN
The Dutch were somewhat shock
ed when the zero hour of the Japa-
nese attack came at the paucity cf
aid from their allies. particularly
in the air. However. they found
some consolation in the transfer Of
the military command to Gen. Helm
ter Poorten and the naval command
TO Dutch Admiral c E. L Helfrich
But soon the Dutch were leading
only Dutchmen. except for hand
full CT allied forces. They were
being battered and blitzed by a
huge japanese invading force.
To some extent the Dutch re-
0eated the mistakes Of Malaga.
They underestimate japanese .
oower. For the most part they
United their preparations to de-
nolitions.
4ANDINu EASY
II Bantam province on Jayas
western end saw many beaches
suited for japanese landings. Japa-
lese forces from south Sumatra
had an easier time land
ng their barges there than rn
Singapore island where they put
ashore 10000 men in three hours
Feb. 8
Bantam has longer beaches and
S linked to the inland by a better
Dad system There was plenty of
'oom for the landing of three times
10000 men and I would guess that /
1t least 100000 japanese were put
ashore on the BantamcoaSt line.
The landings in the Semarang
area probably were effected from |.
3orneo The japanese transport
Armada was sighted Feb 9th 100
niles north of Soerabaja.
Pilots said that it stretched to
he horizon and that the Japanese .
ships could not be counted.
The first unofficial reports Of .
andings came from the Lemas and .
areas, east of Semarang, /
Feb q while I still was at Band t
'eng The next day Dutch military
sources confirmed these reports and
aid that japanese are landing
hundreds Of thousands of men, /
I heard reports that the Japanese :
lsed British tanks captured in Ma
ava If that is true. they only
lSed 10 British medium tanks. That
ras all the British had and they
rrlred al Singapore only il the .
lnal days of the campaign