ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Somewhere In Java -- Japanese invasion forces, crossing the Java sea and fighting off heavy Allied air attacks, effected three landings on the north coast of Java Sunday and were attempting to land troops at at least two other points.
The landings were made in Bantam province, the Bay of Indrama-ju, and 30 kilometers east of Rem-bang in the eastern control area, the ..official Dutch news agency Aneta reported. Beachheads were established in the Bantam and Indramaju landings.
There was no definite indication where the Japanese were attempting to effect additional landings, but Aneta reported that "two other landing fleets have been attacked during the night by our air force and losses have been inflicted on the enemy."
The landing in Bantam province, probably near the town of Bantam, on the Sunda strait, 14 miles from the southern end of Sumatra, apparently was effected following a naval battle.
Aneta reported the landing was opposed by Allied forces but added "no news Is available so far concerning this naval engagement.
By landing in the area of the Bay of Indramaju, about 100 miles east of Batavia, the Island capital, the Japanese placed troops both east and west of Batavia, the island capital. The area is about 100 miles east of Batavia. Bantam province is about 65 miles west of the capital.
The lands near Rembang placed the enemy between that port and the big naval base at Soerabaja, the last naval base In the archipelago still held by the United Nations.
By beginning the long expected attack on the richest island of the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese were attempting to close the pinchers movement which they began by first seizing Sumatra and then the Island of Bali.
Aneta said that early reports indicated Allied forces already were resisting the landing forces, but gave no details on where this resistance was centered.
The landing in the Indramaju bay area, if successful, would put the Japanese in position to fight their way inland to the railroad running east from Batavia to Sa ma-rang and on to Soerabaja. There also is a rail line running from Rembang east through the coastal plains to the big naval base.
There was no indication that Japanese warplanes were playing an important role In the Invasion scheme, such as they took in their successful march down the Malayan peninsula that culminated in the quick seizure of airports and the final capture of Singapore with British planes virtually driven from the skies.
The Japanese pilots, however, have not enjoyed much success against the smart Allied flying pilots over Java, and invariably they have come off second best. Their navy also has suffered resounding defeats In battles around Bali, just east of Java, and in the Java sea, off the island's north shore.
In a great naval engagement announced Friday night an invasion fleet of possibly 40 transports, heavy supported by warships, was driven off with heavy losses, but it apparently reorganized off the Borneo coast and came steaming back.
As in other invasions, the Japanese seem willing to lose great numbers of men to gain their objectives. In Bali, all but one ship of a great invasion Armada was sunk or damaged but enough Japanese were landed to seize the airport at Denpasar and eventually take control of the Island.
The navy announced late Saturday that American naval forces, with other United Nations warships had put out of action a heavy Japanese cruiser and three destroyers.
The naval engagement, described as a "major action," occurred when 40 Japanese transports, covered by a large force of combat vessels, appeared off the north coast of Java Friday for the attack on the heart of the Dutch East Indies.
The navy announced simultaneously that American submarines operating in Far Eastern waters had torpedoed and probably sunk five enemy ships this week. The ships Included at least two trans ports and one "large" vessel.
In regard to the Java battle, the navy said that none of the American vessels suffered heavy dam age, and that our forces are "stil Intact despite the overwhelming superiority in numbers of the enemy naval forces."
The extent to which airplanes participated in the fighting was not disclosed.
The navy communique identified the crippled Japanese cruiser as of the Mogami class. This group consists of four cruisers of 8,000 tons with a length of 640 feet and a beam of 60 feet.
The American naval units which engaged the Japanese off Java were believed to have consisted of one heavy cruiser and five destroyers.
The 'large" vessel torpedoed and probably sunk by an American submarine on Feb. 23 may have been an airplane carrier, a large transport or possibly a cruiser. Two hits were scored.
On the following day two torpedo hits were effected on a large auxiliary vessel.
On Feb. 25 an enemy transport was torpedoed and another torpedo found its mark on a type of enemy ship that was not identified. On the same day another transport was hit and believed sunk.
While the battle for Java was raging, Gen. Douglas MacArthur's hard fighting men on Batan were holding tenaciously to the advance positions won by this week's surprise attacks against the numerically-superior Japanese forces.
MacArthur Hold Gains
Fighting had slowed down to "relatively minor patrol skirmishes," according to the department's communique.
The Japanese, greatly superior to MacArthur's forces numerically, were holding their main battle positions on the Batan peninsula but it was assumed from the army's report that they had lost consider ably in men and materials, in addition to having the initiative wrested, from them.
The American-Filipino army now controls more than half of the Batan peninsula, with the lower section in communication with the American fortresses which guard Manila bay and which prevent the Japanese developing that big natural harbor into a base to aid their southward drive on the East In dies.
88 Jap Planes Downed
American volunteer fliers were credited Saturday with bringing down approximately 88 Japanese planes in heavy fighting over Bur ma this week, including 54 believed destroyed Wednesday and Thursday.
British Imperial forces, aided by American volunteer fliers, were officially reported Saturday night to be waging a terrific battle and Inflicting appalling losses on the enemy in defense of the fire-scarred Burmese capital of Rangoon.
The military situation in south trn Burma guarding the ap proaches to India is grave. The British have fallen brick west of the shallow Sittang river and the Japanese probably have cut the Rangoon railroad north of Pegu, a military commentator, explained.
Offensive Considered
Australia Saturday night adopted a new strategic plan designed to turn this vast subcontinent into an invasion spring-board from which may be launched soon it is hoped a major counter-stroke against Japan.
The Australian air force, already on the alert to smash Japanese attempts to grab the key northern approaches to Australia, smashed for the fourth successive day in a powerful attack on Raboul, New Britain island now in Japanese hands.
As the Australian war council concluded the second day of its extraordinary conference with rep resentatives of Allied Pacific nations, developments suggested that the United Nations were gearing to shift their Pacific strategy from defense to offense.
