GAINS IN PACIFIC

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 11, 14 January 1943, Page 5

GAINS IN PACIFIC

ALLIED CAMPAIGNS Full-scale Attack Prepared At Sanananda N.Z.F.A. Special Correspondent. SYDNEY, Jan. 13. The Allied troops waiting to launch a full-scale attack to annihilate the remnants Of the Japanese Papuan army at Sanananda have made further small gains. While artillery have been shelling the Japanese in the fortress area Allied infantrymen have been active in offensive patrolling and sniping operations. The reigning sniping champion is Lieutenant D. Murray, who before the war was a Victpnan fruit farmer. In a few days sniping he has killed at least 21 Japanese for the expenditure of 36 , shots. Lieutenant Murray built his own camouflaged firing position within range of a Japanese unit headquarters. His activities have forced the enemy to add to their earthworks in the area by constructing communication trenches as a protection against his deadly rifle. "A hign tribute to General MacArthur's conduct of the war against the Japanese in the South-west Pacific is paid by the New York Daily Mirror, which says: "General Mac Arthur knows more about the organisation of war, more about the Japanese, more about the full and unhampered use of air power than anyone else we have got. Future military textbooks will mark the New Guinea campaign as a turning point in the concept of war, m which we have applied the lessons of Crete. "General MacArthUr, without naval support, transported and supplied his army largely by air, at the same time destroying 353 Japanese aircraft, 19 warships and 89 merchant ships. Our greatest fighting general recognises a new element m warfare—the self-sufficient element of air power. Congress should have his full testimony when it considers overhauling our moth-eaten organisation for waging total War. NAZI MISSION FAILS LONDON, Jan. 13. 1 The Ankara correspondent of the I Associated Press says it is persists ently reported that the German [ Ambassador to Ankara, von Papen ( - is shortly leaving Turkey perman--1 ently, because Germany regards his 1 mission at having finally failed. The, 1 Germans are very annoyed that . Turkey, instead of breaking off her > alliance with Britain, is showing in--1 creasing attachment to the Allied • cause and faith in an Allied victory.