Mcallen Daily Press

SINGAPORE IS GIVEN AID BY PLANES, SHIP
Fighting Is Centered On Two Key Points;
Jap Bases on Malaya Are Raided by RAF
LONDON, Feb. 13—(UP)
British defense forces today were reported fighting with aid of warships at two key points on Singapore island about three miles west and north of Singapore city.
Furious Japanese pressure was exerted against the defense forces about Ang Mo Kio village, near the reservoirs three miles north of Singapore city, and at Pasir Panjang, which lies west of the city and on the south coast of the island, a communique said.
"Enemy shelling today was frequent against our forward areas and on Singapore town," it added.
Severe enemy pressure was maintained on the western front during the last 24 hours and his attack is being supported by increased air and artillery forces," the communique reported.
There was no mention of British air action over the island but British planes were said by the Singapore radio to have defeated a Japanese air fleet over the Malayan mainland in an attempt to break up enemy communications.
British warships were reported to have joined in the battle by shelling enemy tanks and troops, presumably on both the island and the Johore coast, while British heavy artillery still was firing from the island forts.
"The enemy carried out low level and dive bomb attacks in the forward areas and there have been many high level bombing attacks on the town area by large formations of aircraft," the communique said.
"Fighting is now taking place about Ang Mo Kio village (MacRitchie reservoir) and Pasir Panjang."
Both points are several miles west of Singapore city, indicating that the British still were holding their main position outside the city and on a line that extends from the south central coast through the center of the island to the area of the naval base.
This was in contrast to Japanese claims in the last 48 hours that their troops had "entered" Singapore City. Authoritative quarters awaited anxiously detailed reports from British general headquarters, but it was believed that for the moment the Japanese, despite their savage and ceaseless attacks and frightful casualties, had failed completely to break the imperial line extending through the middle of the island from the naval base to the south-island shore. The Imperial forces were arrayed against constantly increasing odds as the enemy poured troops and tanks from the mainland to the island, and enemy planes attacked from dawn to dark without pause. It was indicated that the British, Australian and Indian troops still held a line extending from the naval base and the Changi fortress at the northeast corner of the island, through the water reservoirs mid-islands to the northwestern suburbs of Singapore city and the south coast.