TROOPS PRESS ON

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1943, Page 5

TROOPS PRESS ON

SALAMAUA OFFENSIVE

JAPS FACE SERIOUS THREAT

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 24. Allied land forces have made important new gains in the struggle for balainaua, the Japanese advance base m New Guinea. Australian troops have crossed the Francisco River at the western approaches to the airfield, while others are engaged in mopping up enemy stragglers round Komiatum. The capture of Komiatum, which was announced on Sunday, cut the enemy's main supply route and threatens the Japanese garrison with encirclement and annihilation. Our advance across the Francisco River tightens this encircling movement, though heavy country still lies between the Australians and the airfield. ; A second Australian force is engaging the enemy in six defensive positions further south along the river bank, while fresh isolated encounters between other Australian and Japanese forces also fit into the general pattern of the Allied drive for Salamaua. The air-strip against which the Allied advance is mainly directed lies about a mile south of Salamaua township and close to the Francisco River. American troops which landed at Nassau Bay, eight miles south of Salamaua, and later linked with Australians moving up the coast, are now within four miles of the air-strip. . Allied naval units have joined in increasing the pressure against Salamaua. Light warships last night struck* at the enemy's rear supply zone at Finschhafen. In this sweep Allied warships, operating in the area for the first time, bombarded enemy ships, dock installations, and supply dumps. No return fire is mentioned. The Allied land forces are also receiving close air support. Apart from direct attacks on the enemy's defences, our planes are continually patrolling the shores of Huon Peninsula to prevent the enemy getting reinforcements or supplies to Salamaua by sea. Yesterday our aircraft attacked the Finschhafen, Marwasa, Rooke Island, and Salamaua areas. JAP MORALE EBBING. War correspondents with the forward troops say that there are signs that Japanese morale is dropping under the ceaseless pounding from Australian and American artillery, but it is thought that they will make a stubborn last-ditch stand for Salamaua. Every enemy withdrawal has left the Allies in possession of new points that will be extremely valuable in the final assault. The last Japanese chance of retrieving the position at Salamaua was smashed a week ago when Allied planes destroyed the large enemy air armada at Wewak. General Mac Arthur's bombers yesterday made widespread strikes to the. north of Australia. Continuing their long-range raids on Netherlands Indies key-points, Liberators successfully attacked the aerodrome and town areas at Kendari, Celebes, an important aircraft assembly base. A flight of nearly 2000 miles was involved.

No changes are reported in the ground situatiou in the Solomons, where Allied light naval units are continuing attacks against Japanese barge hide-outs.