Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 11 February 1942, page 3


ENEMY DOMINANCE IN AIR AGAIN

Key Factor at Singapore

From ROHAN RIVETT, "The Argus" Special Correspondent in Singapore

SINGAPORE, Tuesday.

All observers agree that the dominance of the Japanese

in air remains the key factor in the situation on the island. The enemy is maintaining a heavy numerical preponderance over the combat zone.

Nevertheless, British Imperial troops are displaying the greatest tenacity against constant bombing and machinegun attacks

I interviewed Maj-Gen. Gordon Bennett at Australian field head-quarters yesterday morning. De-

scribing the Japanese landing on the previous night, he said that there had been considerable enemy shelling on our forward positions during the morning and afternoon. Japanese aircraft were constantly overhead re-connoitring our forward positions and outposts. Firing grew heavier as evening approached and a tremen-dous artillery duel developed at nightfall between guns on both sides of Johore Strait

Japanese gunners, aided by aerial observations, destroyed some of our searchlights and forward posts, and it soon became evident that enemy troops were crossing the strait in force. On one occasion, our lights revealed that many craft of all types were crossing the narrow strip of

water.

A landing was effected only against a storm of fire from heavy guns and machine gun posts. A series of fierce fights occurred round our forward posts, some of which successfully withdrew to a stronger line. Our guns must have taken heavy toll of

the enemy.

Ian Fitchett, official Australian war correspondent, says in a message dated yesterday that the military situation on the island late yester-day afternoon could only be de-scribed as serious. The enemy land-ings followed a smashing barrage which grew to a crescendo from 8 o'clock the previous night, following an afternoon of destructive shelling and mortar fire. After our search-lights had been destroyed on Sun-day night we had no means of ob-servation until the moon rose at 1am on Monday. Our strongest-held posi-

tions on the coast west of Kranji estuary were left comparatively un-

molested, but on either flank the fire

was poured in, making the approach of troops holding those areas diffi-

cult. Towards 11pm the enemy started to get ashore. No sooner had the first Japanese to land been engaged than enemy troops started to "pour in in hordes."

Our artillery and machine gunners were sweeping the strait with fire all this time and concentrating on the beach opposite but the enemy seemed to be crossing in strength Meanwhile his gunfire was crashing Into our positions. It was a solid drumfire that went on for some hours without ceasing The colonel of a West Australian machinegun battalion told me that he thought the enemy was using steel troop landing boats because he had re-ceived report after report from his gunners that they had seen their bullets striking flashes of flame as they hit the steel sides of the vessels How the enemy got them down the peninsula can be only conjectured. Possibly he embarked his troops from a point farther north on the mainland and sailed down the coast after dark.

The landings soon had our forward troops in trouble, and they had to fall back to a level line. In desperate early morning fighting party after party found its way out cut off, and infantry, gunners, and anti-tank men joining together to get themselves and their guns out. Reinforcements of Indians, as well as Australians, were rushed to the area, but dawn provided light for enemy bombers again. They kept at it all day long.

Our fighters made a gallant effort to help the troops, but it was the old story. So it went on all day, with very little definite information becoming available beyond confused tales of desperate fighting.