TOKYO VERSION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 42, 19 February 1944, Page 5

TOKYO VERSION

LANDING CLAIMED

Japanese Minimise Scale Of

Onslaught

N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1 p.m. NEW YORK, Feb. IS. Tokyo official radio says Japanese Imperial Headquarters announce that Japanese Army and Navy units are engaged in fierce fighting with American concentrations at Truk. Chungking radio quoted Tokyo radio as saying that strong motorised Japanese forces and troops are involved in fierce fighting and are continuing action in opposing the American forces which landed on Truk. The enemy reports of the landing are not confirmed in Washington. Army and Navy officials refused to comment on the enemy report that the Americans had landed on Truk. President Roosevelt told a Press conference that he knew nothing atiout the reports that the Americans had landed. A Domei News Agency report quoted by Tokyo radio says powerful mechanised units as well as air power are being used in the American attack against Truk. "Fighting with our troops is now going on," says the report. "This present attack is not the real thing and does not go beyond the scope of a strong reconnaissance. The main force of our invincible Navy is biding its time until the very end, and is coordinating it with supply difficulties that will increase in proportion to the distance of the enemy's advance. It is now looking for a golden opportunity to destroy the enemy at one stroke." The Associated Press correspondent at Chungking says the Chinese hailed the bold assault on Truk jubilantly, with feelings akin to incredulity since none expected the blow would come so soon. It is taken as an indication that Admiral Nimitz's planned drive across the Pacific to the China coast is well under way. It is generally supposed the event will profoundly affect the morale of the Japanese people, and Japan might now be compelled to withdraw some of her forces from China —the only territory where she can conveniently deplete her strength.

LAND FIGHTING

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC DRIVES Rec. 11 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. Continued Allied progress in the land fighting in the South-west Pacific is reported by General MacArthur's communique to-day. The American forces in the Rottock Bay area, New Britain, have reached El River, where they found the bodies of many Japanese dead. The Australians west of Saidor, on Rai Coast, New Guinea, have established contact with the Japanese along Mot River. It is announced from Washington that the American casualties in the recent landings at Saidor, New Guinea, and at Arawe and Cape Gloucester, New Britain, were 465 killed, 1156 wounded and 12 missing.