Daily Post - 11.12.1941, Qupperneq 1

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D. S. AIRCBIFT
CiBRIERS
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DAILY POST
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JAP ATTACKS DEVELOP ON PHILIPPINES, MALAYA AND HONG KONG
Prince of Wales and Repulse Sunk
..—
Casualties Feared Heavy
F.D.R. WARNS: WE MAY LOSE
GUAM, WAEE, AND MIDWAY
.. —.. -
Tokio Admits Losing Transports and 51 Planes
RUSSIA
NAZIS FALTER
AND RETIRE

Tikvin Retreat
Recomes Rout
London, Dec. lOth.
To-day’s news from the Far East reports the loss of two of Britain’s largest
warships; fresh landings of Japanese troops in Malaya and the Philippines; Chinese
troops attacking the Japanese in the Kwantung province; and the probable loss of
Guam and of Midway and Wake Isiands, the three most important U.S. stepping-
stones from Hawaii to the Philippines.
In tþe House of Commons
this morning the Primfe Min-
ister, Mr. Churchill, announced
the loss of the two British capi-
tal ships, the “Prince of Wales”
and the “Repulse”.
“I have bad news for the
Housfe,” Mr. Churchill said,
"“which I thought I should im-
part at the eariiest moment. A
report received from Singapore
says that the battleship ‘Prince
°f Wales’ and the battlte-cruiser
‘Repnlse' were sunk this morn-
*ng, while carrying out operat-
ions off the coast of Malayá.”
It is stated here that the
Prime Minister will give a full
statement to-morrow about the
situation in the Far East, which
he considers to have changed
Ihese last days hoth for ihe
hetter and for the worse.
The “Repulse” was a 32,000-
ion foattle-cruiser, built 25
years ago, carrying a crew of
1400 officers and men. She was
sister ship to the “Hood”. al-
though smaller, and carried six
15-in. guns.
The “Prince of Wales” was a
hattleship of 35,000 tons.
laimched in 1939, and carried
a crew of 1,500 officers and men
an<^ an armament of ten 14-in.
and sixteen 5.5-in. guns.
She took part in the sinking
of the “Bismarck” and, with the
“Repulse”, arrived a week ago
at Singapore, where she foecame
the flagship of Admiral T. S. V.
Phillips.
Mr. Duff Cooper, broadcast-
ing from Singapcre to-day, said
that nothing was officially
known about the losses of men,
but they might prove to have
been heavy. But although the
loss of so many highly efficient
officers and men would be
keenly felt, they had died as
they might have wished to die,
fighting for their country.
In Canberra Mr. Curtin said
that the loss of those two great
ships was a bad blow, and' now
there could be no question of
“business as usual” only; pro-
duction wculd have to be in-
creased, and increased mani-
fold.
JAPANESE CLAIMS
A statement from Tokio to-
day claims that both ships were
sunk by aircraft. Both had foeen
hit simultaneously, the “Re-
pulse” having sunk immediate-
ly, and the “Prince of Wales”
some 20 minutes later, after
having had other hits seored on
her.
*
ENEMY REÍNFORCED IN .
MALAYA
In Malaya the Japanese have
succeeded in landing reinforce-
ments at Kota Baharu, and in.
effecting a landing at Kuantan,
some 200 miles further south,
midway between Kota Baharu
and Singapore. British and Ind-
ian troops are fiercely resisting
the invader here also, and the
defences are still intact.
BATTLE FOR AERODROME
Our troops have now reorg-
anized themselves south of
Kota Baharu, where the battle
raged so long about the key
aercdrome situated there.
In other places in Malaya the
invaders • have heen beaten off
so far. On the main road from
Kedah to Thailand 7 Japanese
tanks were trapped and de-
stroyed to-day hy Punjabi
troops, and at Penang 5 Japan-
ese planes were shot down this
moming.
THAILANÐ
The Japanese claim to have
landed a great many troops at
and near Singora in Thailand,
and to be advancing towards
(Continued on page 4.)
Lonaon, Dec, lOth.
The Moscow Radio to-day
claims that the Germans aife
being driven back on all fronts.
This was indirectly admitted by
the Berlin military spokesman
to-day, who stated that the
Germans had no further strat-
egic ambitions in Russia this
wintter, and accordingly the
German spearheads were being
withdrawn in many places. The
capture of Moscow, which the
Gerrrnn High Command unde-
niably had hoped to effect be-
fore Christmas, would there-
fore have to wait until the
spring.
The German retreat at Tik-
vin has now foecomé a rout. The
enemy left 7,000 dead, and the
Russi^ns are mopping up ene-
my detachments separated
from the main army.
In the Moscow area the Ger-
mans are retreating on all
froius, and at Volokolamsk and
Moshaisk they have foeen clear-
ed from important positions.
In the Ukraine the Russians
claim to have captured Yelets
on the Orel-Stalingrad line.
200 miles south cf Moscow.
In the Taganrog , sector the
Germans are still retreating.
and in the Crimea our Allies
claim 15,000 German officers
and men annihilated in their
attempt and failure to gain a
single important position
around Sevastopol.