Evening star., 1942-01-20
8 Army Bombers Sink Jap Cruiser
Leave Tanker Burning in Far East;
Foe Now 90 Miles From Singapore
Patrols, Landing
Parties Attack
In West Malaga
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Japanese invasion troops. at
tacking only so miles north of
Singapore, were officially re-
ported exerting heavy pressure
on the entire front" in Western
Malaga today, and a crisis in the
defense Of Britain's $400, 900, 900
stronghold was apparently immi-
nent as sea-borne Japanese
forces cut in below the main
battle line.
Domei, ofiicial Japanese news
agency, said Japanese vanguards
late yesterday had advanced within
l8 miles of the causeway across
Johore Strait to Singapore Island
Official dispatches said japanese
patrols and landing parties were
swarming along 30-mile coastal belt
In Western Malaya-from the Muar
River. 80 miles north of Singapore,
to Batu Pahat, barely go miles away.
On the Malayan east coast, jap
anese forces were reported to have
reached the Endau area, IS miles
north OF Johore Strait.
British headquarters said r. A. F.
fighters machine gunned enemy
barges at the mouth of the Muar
River In the Malacca Straits settle
ment, where British, Australian and
Indian troops were striving to sta
bilize the front
1t was on the west coast that the
main thrust continued. There, the
British reported bombing and ma
chine-gunning engagements by their
air force.
Farther north in the Japanese
occupied rubber center of Kuala
Lumpur. British bombers swooped
down in an effort to knock out part
OF the Japanese air force on a field.
Positive results were not reported,
however.
The communique said bombs ZAP
pear to have been dropped indis-
criminately. falling to a large extent
in residential areas when jap
anese warplanes roared over Singa-
pore this morning after yesterdays
respite.
The British admitted that some
military damage, aside from resi-
Dental damage. was done. Mersing,
on the east coast, also was raided by
japanese.
The British said that altogether
six Japanese planes, including a navy
plane and q bomber in the Singa-
pore raid. were shot down and that
they had lost two fighters them
selves. Some of the losses were in
an air flght when the British at
tackled Muar landing operations.
10000 Declared Trapped.
A Japanese column which reached
the Yongpeng sector on the Central
Johore Railway has cut off 10000
Australians, Domei report said.
The Japanese news agency said
that the Australians were caught in
the Segamat sector. about IS miles
north OF Singapore Island, by flank
ing movements along the east and
west coast, and that artillery was
taking an important part in the
'inclosing operations.
This roundup of Malayan dis
patches includes some sent from
enemy capitals, whose motive in
broadcasting news is apt to be
propaganda. Axis claims should
be credited only when confirmed
by American or Allied Sources)
An official German broadcast,
quoting Toxic dispatches, said the
trapped forces had launched re-
peated attacks to cut their way out
Of the trap. but without success.
The broadcast said r. A. F. flyers
were trying desperately to aid the
beleaguered imperials to reach
Singapore. which otherwise would
have a skeleton force of 10000 men
to defend the island fortress.
Failure of the British efforts to
escape the encirclement resulted in
collapse of British resistance at sew
eral places, the radio said.
Without confirmation elsewhere,
(See MAIAYA, Page A-4D