KOKODA VILLAGE RECAPTURED

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23716, 14 August 1942, Page 5

KOKODA VILLAGE RECAPTURED

Australian Success In Papua

MANY JAPANESE KILLED (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received August 13, 11.30 p.m.) (N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, August 13. “A number of the enemy liquidated, many perforated,” was the laconic message received by Allied headquarters from the command of the Australian land forces which made a successful raid on Kokoda, in Papua, last Sunday, By skilful strategy the Japanese were dispossessed of Kokoda village. The Australian commander organised three separate thrusts to draw out the Japanese, and then, when the enemy had been enticed out of Kokoda, the Australian force, which had remained in hiding in the jungle, reentered the village without a shot being fired. However, confused fighting was known to be continuing on Monday night. The Japanese, after their initial mistake, are hitting back vigorously. A large force of Airacobra fighters, each carrying a medium bomb, closely supported the Kokoda operations, dive-bombing and strafing the enemy positions, and silencing machine-gun posts. A former Kokoda patrol officer, now in the army, assisted in picking out objectives for the aeroplanes, and marked his own house as a main target. Thii was the first time in the south-west Pacific that fighters have been used as bombers, and the results are stated to have been highly satisfactory. Each of the Australian patrol forces killed or wounded many of the enemy. Their own casualties were light. Escape from Enemy After lying hidden in the jungle for six hours within a few yards of Japanese patrols, Mr George Grahamshaw, formerly district officer at Buna, has made his way back to an Australian outpost. He led a small reconnaissance patrol into forward areas after the Japanese landing at the Gona mission. They were attacked by a large enemy force, and dispersed. Mr Grahamshaw became separated from the party, and had to lie hidden near a track while Japanese troops passed along it. Ultimately he managed to shake off pursuit, but his circuitous journey back to Australian-held territory took 15 days. He brought back with him an American airman who parachuted from his aeroplane over the enemy area.

SHOT FIRED AT TO JO

REPORTED ATTEMPT BY KOREAN PATRIOT (Received August 13,. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 12. The Associated Press of America says that Mr Kilsoo Haan. Washington representative of the Chinese Korean People’s League, stated that he had received a report from the East, which He believed to be true, that a young Korean patriot had shot and slightly wounded the Japanese Prime Minister (General Tojo) on June 17. Mr Haan said that in the ensuing excitement gendarmes opehed fire, killing Major Yuzo Fujlta, a prominent army aviator, after which the Japanese rounded up 92 young Koreans in Tokyo. Their fate is unknown.

U.S. CORRESPONDENT MISSING :

(Received August 13,11.30 p.m.) , . MELBOURNE, August 13. Mr Vefn Haughland, staff correspendent of the Associated Press _ of America, was to-day listed as missing, five days after an aeroplane in which he was a passenger disappeared in a storm between north-eastern Australia and New Guinea. , . _ , Mr Haughland left the United States in January yffth other war correspondents for this theatre.

NO COAL STOPPAGES IN N.S.W.

RECORD WEEKLY OUTPUT (Special Australian Correspondent) (Received August 13,11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 13.

No coal stoppages have occurred in the New South Wales mines this week, thus ensuring the highest weekly output for the year. It was forecast in coal circles to-day that if the present rate of production continued all output records would be shattered this year, in spite of the serious stoppages during the first six months. The biggest problem now is transport.

CALLING UP MEN IN QUEBEC

SHOOTING INCIDENTS REPORTED

(Received August 14, 12.30 a.m.) OTTAWA, August 12.

The Canadian Press Agency says that police constables personally delivering call-up notices in the Quebec city area met armed resistance in several instances recently. Pistol shots were fired at constables and a serious situation developed in one instance, but the authorities have refused to divulge whether anyone was injured, or to indicate the extent of the resistance.

The Commissioner of Police, although he had said that the Royal Canadian Police had not met armed resistance in delivering call-up notices in Quebec or elsewhere, later acknowledged that there had been two shooting incidents. One of these occurred 10 days ago in the Gatineau area, when a shot was fired at a car containing constables who were attempting to serve a notice. The shot struck the car, but it is -not known whether it was fired deliberately. The second incident occurred between Montreal and Quebec in similar circumstances, when a shot was fired at a car similar to the one used by the police. The commissioner said he did not know of any other similar incidents. The Minister of Justice confirmed that the police had not met armed resistance in enforcing the call-up regulations but said that there had begn two incidents which might have been connected with them.

The Premier of Quebec (Mr A. God. bout) said the story of armed resistance was false and apparently malicious. He declared that the report was likely to create disunion and raise people of other provinces against the people of Quebec.

U.S. MINISTER’S VIEW OF WAR

“STILL ON DEFENSIVE” (Received August 13, 7 p.m.) CLEVELAND, August 12. The United States Under-Secretary for War (Mr Robert P. Patterson), in a speech at ceremonies for the making of an Army and Navy production award to the White Motor Company, said: “I wish I could tell you the war is going well, but it is not. We are still on the defensive. This duty is a bright spot in a dark war. We need more bright spots. There is only one alternative waiting at the end of the road—victory or death.”