news review

Jan. 13: British in Malaya retire to new lines southwards of Kuala Lumpur.

Jan. 14; KAAF bombers hit a Jap cruiser and destroyed two Japanese fighter planes over Celebes.

Jan. 16; Axis columns, under Rommel, which .-retreated from Eastern Libya, have now turned and are attacking the pursuing British forces.

Jan. 16: Heavy fighting continues on Russian front, under most severe winter known in 150 years. The German line, unbroken, is slowly retiring. Heavy fighting everywhere.

Jan. 19; The British line in Malaya is again being withdrawn further south, as the result of Japanese outflanking attacks from the sea.

Jan. 20: Severe fighting developing in East ern Burma, in vicinity of Jap infiltration from Thailand.

Jan. 20: Japanese heavily blitzed Rabaul.

Jan. 21: Under growing Jap pressure, British in Malaya are slowly retiring.

Jan. 21: Jap planes bomb Morobe goldfields towns of Lae, Salamaua and Bulolo. Lae and Salamaua abandoned.

Jan. 22; Jap invasion fleet seen approaching Rabaul from northwards; town’s people evacu ated into jungle to the westward.

Jan. 22: Twenty-six nations at Pan-American conference at Rio de Janeiro, including Argen tina and Chile, agree to break off relations with Axis.

Jan. 23: Japanese from Thailand are attack ing Eastern Burma, 100 miles eastward of Ran goon.

Jan. 23: Japanese occupied Rabaul.

Jan. 26: Americans and Filipinos are still holding the Bataan Peninsula (north of Man ila) and the island fortress of Corregidor, in Manila Bay.

Jan. 27: Hurricane and Tomahawk fighters, based on Rangoon, are doing deadly execution among Japanese raiding bombers.

Jan. 28: Jap destroyer and cruiser HMS ‘ Thanet” sunk in Malayan naval engagement.

Jan. 30: One-third of Jap convoy of 100 ships, going towards Java and trapped in Macassar Strait, destroyed by Americans and Dutch.

Jan. 31: Japs now within 20 miles of Singa pore, and British retire to island fortress.

Jan. 31: Commons, after severely criticising Prime Minister Churchill, gave him a vote of confidence by 464 to 1, Jan. 31: Axis columns re-occupy Benghazi,

(Continued Overleaf)

Libya, and still are advancing.

Jan. 31: Jap forces seize Amboina, import ant base in East Indies.

Feb. 1: Japs raid Bulolo and Wau (New Guinea) and Koepang (Timor).

Feb. 2: British retire across Salween River, Eastern Burma.

Feb. 2: American naval forces attack Jap bases in Marshalls.

Feb. 3: Sourabaya (Java) heavily raided.

Feb. 4: Japs cross Salween River, Burma.

Feb. 5: Sourabaya again heavily raided.

Feb. 8: Samarai (Papua) bombed.

Feb. 9: Japs land upon and occupy western portion of Singapore.

Feb. 9: Batavia (Java) heavily bombed.

Feb. 10: Japs land at Gasmata (New Britain).

Feb. 10: Giant linfer “Normandie” partly destroyed by fire in New York.

Feb. 12: British in Singapore now hold only the fortress and the city proper. Bitter fight ing proceeding.

Feb. 13: Japs capture Martaban and directly threaten Rangoon.

Feb. 13: Japs lost 3 cruisers and 1 destroyer at Amboina.

Feb. 13: Three great German warships— “Scharnhorst”, “Gneisenau”, and ‘‘Prinz Eugen” —escape from Brest and reach Heligoland in spite of heavy British air attacks.

Feb. 14: AIF and US forces arrived at Java to strengthen Dutch against imminent Jap. in vasion.

Feb. 15: After 8 days’ terrific fighting, Singa pore has fallen. Jap radio reports “greater part of AIF and British troops were evacuated to DEI before city surrendered”.

Feb. 16: Japs occupy Palembang, great oil centre on Sumatra (DEI).