– February 22, 1942 – News Of The World – NBC – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
February 22, 1942. With eyes on the Pacific, this Sunday morning in 1942. News from The Dutch East Indies of fighting in and around Java, Japanese invasions around Bali. With Dutch and American Naval and Air Forces mounting counter-attacks while Japanese forces maintained footholds on the small islands. At press time there were reports of a major Naval battle between Japanese and American forces in the Bali and Lombok Islands area. But the last reports told of some 13 Japanese warships and transports seriously damaged or sunk. More news was promised as it happened.
Japanese bombing planes were extending their raids far behind the British lines in Burma. The counter aerial offensive between British and American flyers was believed to be doing heavy damage to Japanese concentration positions and communication lines eastward into Thailand.
For five days Japanese troops had been battling along British lines along the Bilin River front, but there were no apparent sign sthey had been able to push back the tough and determined British and Indian troops.
In Calcutta, foreign observers believed that Generalissimo Chiang-Kai Shek‘s Chinese troops were continuing their attacks of Japanese troop concentrations along the Chinese North-Central front. Small bands of Chinese were credited with infiltrating Japanese-held territory, raiding and destroying Japanese communication lines. And other Chinese offensives were underway in China’s Yangtse Province. British radio reported news that Chinese dispatches claimed capture of a large town on the east bank of the Yellow River. Reports went on to say that, during his visit with Indian officials, General Chiang expressed optimism that Britain would eventually grant India freedom from colonial rule. Chiang was in India seeking full military support of Chinese forces in an effort to stem a Japanese Invasion of Southern Asia.
And that’s a small chunk of news for this February 22, 1942 – as reported by NBC’s News Of The World.
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