f
Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. “The News of The Dav In Pictures" .Member Of Ilie Associated Press
THE NOME NUGGET
VOL. 44. No. 15. NOME, ALASKA, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 1942. Pei copy is*
Promise Singapore Reinforcements
Wavell Promises Singapore Defenders
Creat U S. and British Reinforcements
Singapore, Feb. 4 (AP) — The heavy guns of em
battled Singapore thundered into action against mass
ing ranks of the Japanese invasion army across the
Strait of Johore, where Wavell declared the enemy
must be stopped cold. Wavell cheered on the defend
ers of the mightly stronghold with the promise that
“great reinforcements” of American and British troops
are being sent to wrest the initative from the Japan
ese. He ailed grimly for a stand like Tobruk’s, to hold
the hosts of the Mikado, until that help arrives. His
call took the form of the order of the day, presumably
issued from his headquarters on Nava.
Despite the sudden flurry of artillery and air activ
ity, there was no sign that the Japanese are about to
begin the expected attempt to cross Johore Strait.
Big Allied Move Under Way To
Counter Jap Sweep In Far Pacific
Undated, Feb. 3 (AP) — Australian Army minister
Forde declared “A big movement by the Allies is un
der way” to counter Japans sweep in the far Pacific,
even as Japanese dive bombers struck violently at
Singapore. In Tokyo, a military spokesman said a dir
ect assault on the island stronghold is imminent.
In a broadcast to Australian and Imperial troops a1
Singapore. Forde declared: Each hour that Japan’s
siege armies are held at bay, permitting the massing
and deployment of more reinforcements and accumu
lation of more weapons, “doesn't need my words to im
pel you, therefore, to hoid on.” Forde didn't specify
the nature or direction of the new movement.
High reaching flames, destruction, and some cas
ualties were reported in Singapore, as Japanese bomb-1
ers pounded the city of 750,000 population, and outly
ing section. Singapore’s big defense guns, ranged
along the mile-wide Johore Strait, thundered intermit
tently, above the scream of air raid sirens, at Japanese
troops in the jungles on the opposite shore, on the
Malay Peninsula.
RAF scouting planes reported a heavy movement
of Japanese troops southward, indicating the invaders
are massing their full strength on the lower tip of the
Peninsula before launching a direct assault on the
$400,000,000 island fortress.
Sir Shenton Thomas, Governor of the Straits Settle
ment. worked in his shirt-sleeves along side of native
coolies in laying hose to battle the flames set bv the
Japanese bombs.
Russian Troops Make Assault on
Smolensk In 40 Below Weather
Undated, Feb. 3 (AP)—Russian troops, dragging ma
chine guns and cannon on sledges in 40 degrees, Fahren
heit, below zero, are reported surging forward at sev
eral points in a drive aimed at Smolensk, 210 miles
west of Moscow. At the same time, the British radio i
said the German generals demanded that Hitler send
20 fresh, picked divisions to the Soviet front immed
iately, threatening otherwise, it will be “very difficult,
if not impossible to prevent a general Russian break
through."
Soviet dispatches said German air and tank rein- '
forcements arriving on the Uukraine front, are being!
more than matched by Red Army weapons.
Navy Utilizing Every Resource
Bring War Front Door of japan
Honolulu,. Feb. 3 (AP) — Every ship and every man
in the United States Pacific fleet, afloat and ashore,
are now being utilized to the fullest extent to bring
the war to the enemy’s front door, Admiral Chester
Nimintz said of the fleet’s spectacular assault on the
Japanese concentrations at the Gilbert and Marshal
Islands Sunday. The commander-in-chief commented
that this was in accordance with the characteristics of!
the United States Navy tradition to seek out the enemy ;
and destroy him. The question of Where’s the fleet, |
was answered partly by the splendid achievements of;
our ships and planes in the attacks on those islands, j
Dimond Urges
Construction Of
Hiway to Alaska
Washington, Feb. 4 (AP)
—Delegate from Alaska A.
J. Dimond urged the
House Public Roads Com
mittee to approve quickly
his bill authorizing the con
struction of the 50 million
dollar international high
way to Alaska. He said the
road could be completed
by next December if start
ed at once. Dimond said “If
a delay of many months
occurs in making prepara
tions for construction, prac
tically the entire year is
lost and the safety and se
curity of military establish
ments and the civil popula
tion of Alaska may well de
pend on prompt action.”
Dimond was the first wit
ness in the committee’s
hearing to determine the
feasibility of the construc
tion of the road. He said it.
has been estimated that
the road wil Icost 25 mil
lion dollars but later in
formation increased the fig
ure.
Under President
Dimond said, the Presi
dent, under the legislation,
will select the route and
will have almost complete
jurisdiction over the high
!
Canadian Defense quarters said
Biigadier J. K. Lawson (above),
c' mmander of the Canadian
force in Hongkong, was believed
to have been killed.
Makes Down Payment
On San Diego Police Court
S ,n Diego, Feb. 4 (AP)—
Verne West, aged 54, made
a part down payment on
the purchase of the San
Diego police court. Arrest-j
ed on a vagrancy charge,'
West to'.d Judge B'ennrn ■
‘Hn Alaska, a gold m'ner
could buy this court.” The
judge accepted a ten dol
lar installment.
way. He said the roa
could be kept open thet
year around.
British North African Troops
Thrown Back 225 Miles In 2 Weeks
Feb. 3 (AP) — British North African troops, thrown
back 225 miles in less than two weks, are reported at
tacking Rommel’s armies “wherever found” in west
ern Libya in an attempt to check the headlong Axis
counter offensive. A British spokesman, emphasizing
the price and necesity of destroying the enemy’s for*
in desert warfare declared, “The area is not import, n
—tanks and men and trucks are.”
Cairo headquarters indicated that Rommel’s van
guards reached the vicinity of Slonta, 105 miles north
east of Bengasi and 225 miles northeast of El Agheila
highwater mark of the British January offensive.
Batan Defenders Beat Off 2 Attacks
And Make Successful Counter Attack
Washington, Feb. 3 CAP) — Gen. MacArthur's Am
erica and Filipino defenders wrote a heroic new chap
ter in the battle of Batan Penisula, beating off two
fresh Japanese attempts to land on the Batan west
coast on the night of February 2, and a successfully
counter attacking the Japanese right flank, with three
lines of enemy trenches over-run. A War Dept, bulletin
said a large amount of Japanese equipment fell into
American hands.
Attempt Two Landings on Batan Peninsula
MacArthur reported that picked shock troops first
attempted to land on the west coast and were only
driven off by artillery fire. The communique contin
ued: “The second and more serious attempt was made
at midnight when a large number of barges under
naval escort aproached the coast. The raid was discov
ered by a few of our night-flying pursuit planes which
immediately attacked the convoy with light bombs
and machine-gun fire."
American troops and artillery gunners waited on
the beach as the Japanese aproached, inflicting bloody
c sualties with their deadly fire. “None of the invading
group reached shore,” MacArthur reported, adding,
th t in the morning a number of shot-smashed barges,
seme burning and others adrift were found alnng the
coast.
1 Jap Transport Sunk In Manila Bay
Sailors, Marines Join Batan Forces
__ o
W "hirgton, Feb 4 (AP) — The local attack ■ Ge r
M-’eArthur's 1 ft flank cn Batan Peninsula, tiro night
;f February 3rd. was sharply repulsed, the War Dept
n‘d in a communique which also said a de' we 1 re
n rt from the Netherlands Indies disclosed that seven
American bombers sank two Japanese tran marts and
mobably a third in an attack on enemy shipping at
Batik Papan on the east coast of Borneo on February
2nd. The department said the attack was believed the
same mentioned in a communique issued by General
Waved at Batavia.
New Battalion Joins MacArthur's Forces
The Navy disclosed that MacArthur's command in
cluded a newh organized battalion of bluejackets and
marines. These were presumably left behind by the
Navy in withdrawing from menaced Banda Bay bases
a month ago.
The Navy announced that a U. S. motor torpedo
boat launched two torpedoes at a Japanese warship
inside Manila Bay and probably hit it, the assault vesr
el esc .ping without damage.
Naval Oil Tanker Is Sunk
The loss of the Neches, 5,400-ton naval tanker, was
acknowledged and 56 of her 182-man crew are said to
be missing. The scene of the action was not identified.
Jew Doctors Required
To Fight Typhus
Berne — The increasing
i'ear of typhus in Europe
today brought reports that
Germany was planning the
release of Jewish doctors
from Nazi concentration
camps in an effort to cope
with the dread, disease.
Typhus killed more than
8 million Europeans in the
first. World War and it is
already declared prevalent
behind the German lines
n the Russian front and to
have spread to Russian civ
ilians. It is pointed out that
typhus usually becomes
worse with the onset of
spring.'
Great Britain is also con
sidering the effects of the!
plague and is seeking the
advice of the Russians in
combatting it should it ap
pear among the British.
Defense Bonds and Stamps
RUSSIA’S FAR FASTERN P 0 R T—This Is an air view of Vladivostok, which has one
of the world’s finest harbors, kept open through the winter by ice-breakers. It is located on a peninsula
projecting into ihe Sea of Japan and thereby "00 airline miles from Tokyo. During World War I, Vla
divostok was used as a base for Allied stores. jtn.Jnl by Allied troops that included Americans, ,