Evening star., 1942-01-10
Enemy Advances
Almost so Miles
In 24 Hours
By the Associated Press.

JdpdIlcSc tAOOPN leu ny IiAOAAS0oA
tanks, advancing almost so miles
in "a hours through the Malayan
"Green He'll" jungles, were re-
, ported today in an official TOXIC
broadcast to have driven within
10 miles of Kuala Lumpur, the
worlds crude rubber capital, 240
miles north of Singapore.
The Japanese subsequently re-
ported that their troops had taken
positions in a field two and one-half
miles southwest of Kuala Lumpur
and had opened q general assault on
the southern part Of the city this
morning.
An official German broadcast
quoted a report by Domei, japanese
news agency, as saying that Kuala
Lumpur had been abandoned
Japanese field dispatches indicate
the British forces have abandoned
their defense lines in the Kuala
Lumpur region. permitting peaceful
entry of the Japanese forces.
@. British Far East headquarters
tersely acknowledged that battle
wearied imperial troops had with
drawn farther to the south" from
the latest of series of defense lines
30 miles north of Kuala Lumpur.
No details were given.
Domei said the Mikado's invasion
forces were closing in on the city
from two drections-one moving
down from the northeast, the other
from the north.
Bloody Fighting Reported.
swept within 10 miles of Kuala Lum-
pur by 5 pm. yesterday after
smashing through British lines at
Tanjong Malim so miles to the
north.
Front line dispatches said the
Japanese advance was marked by
the bloodiest fighting of the month
old campaign. with the invaders
hurting themselves recklessly into
death trap British defense positions.
Heaviest-type Japanese tanks
were leading the assault, dispatches
said.
London quarters admitted gravely
that critical hour had struck in
the defense Of Singapore, Britain's
No. l stronghold in the Far East,
fortified at a cost of $400 900 900,
and declared that the need for re-
ihforcements in troops and planes
was urgent.
Slash at Enemy Bases.
Far north Of the battle sector,
British bombers were reported slash
ing at three japanese bases in an
attempt to relieve the pressure, raid
ing Sungei Patani and Singora, in
Thailand, and Japanese held Ipoh
in Malayan Perak state, 125 miles
above Kuala Lumpur.
The British communique said
there had been two air raid alarms
IN Singapore during the last "a
hours, but no bombs were dropped
The japanese themselves declared
Singapore was raided last night and
hits scored on military largest.
The British said one plane, which
approached Singapore this morning,
was intercepted by British fighters
and shot down over Johore State.
Large Fires Reported.
In the raids on the Japanese
bases, the British reported several
large fires were started at Sungei
Patani, while at Singora, up the
coast from Sungei Patani. 1T was
thought considerable damage was
done military stores"
Bombs were said to have been
dropped on shipping, a railway juno
tion and military buildings at Sin
CORA.
In the Ipoh raid, runways at the
airdrome were hit and two fires
were started, the communique said.
A third fire, visible so miles away,
was said to have been started in
long building at the airdrome.
The Japanese were said to be at
tempting to smash their way ahead
in Western Malaga by sheer weight
of arms. They were using the heav-
lest tanks yet employed by the in
vaders
There was no change reported in
the Eastern Malayan front, where
(See MALAYA, Page A-20