JAPANESE TACTICS IN JUNGLE WAR

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23749, 22 September 1942, Page 4

JAPANESE TACTICS IN JUNGLE WAR

NEW GUINEA

(By CHARLES BUTTROSE, War Corres pendent of the "Sydney Morning HeraH>j

SYDNEY, September 15,

A patrol of Australian soldiers was making its way through the jungle fringe of Milne Bay one day last week when it came upon a pile of dead Japanese soldiers. The Australians counted the number of dead and moved on. They had not gone far when tommy-gun bullets began to spatter lound them. A Japanese had risen from the dead and was firing at the Australians from behind his fallen comrades. . . „ Australians searching the Milne Bay jungle for Japanese, living and dead, now are making certain that the dead are really dead, and have thus put an end to at least one trick the Japanese have been employing against our forces in the New Guinea fighting. In recent fighting in New Guinea tne Japanese have shown themselves masters of jungle fighting. Schemes for this type of warfare which they tested out in Malaya in New Guinea have been developed to their ultimate. Fundamentally, it is a war of nerves. They are masters of camouflage and movement. No detail has been overlooked by the men who formulated the Japanese jungle war methods. Japanese troops are equipped with the lightest possible gear. The men doing the fighting carry very little. Their heavy stuff is carried by coolie battalions. Each man can carry food which will last him for 10 days. It consists of rice, perhaps, some dried fish or fruit, and vitamin tablets. Lighter Weapons

had been Gus. One night while th» patrol had been resting in the junS! a near voice asked, “Where are ySr Gus?” The patrol leader immediate? declared his whereabouts, and asli did so a number of shots were firedH his direction. None hit him. .

The Japanese tommy-gun and rifle also are lighter than ours, and, accordingly, so is the ammunition for his weapons. Each Japanese patrol is'issued with a small, extremely light portable radio set, which enables it to maintain contact with other groups and with its headquarters. An ace still in the Japanese pack, of jungle war tricks is their skill at infiltrating Australian patrols and lines of defence by clever flanking . move - ments. Ever present in the minds of Australians on patrol is the fear that some Japanese group has sneaked on them and cut them off from their base. Outflanking the flahker seems the only counter to this move. Australians who have been wounded in the New Guinea fighting say that tackling the Japanese is like fighting an army of invisible men. The Japanese generally wear mottled green uniforms. They paint their faces, arms, and legs. Their steel helmets are covered with green sacking. They seem to melt into the jungle. ' Few Australian spldiers have seen a live Jap, Jungle Scouts

Other Australians have told about another incident in the S Guinea war. A large patrol of Alt troops were making their waythfouS a jungle when they heard the ordo “Advance, men.” They advanced rim into the fire of a set of Japanw* mortars. On another occasion durffl a night resting period a voice ftS# the jungle had cried put, “Corpfigi White—where’s Corporal White?" jSSI tunately, there was no Corporal WaSj with the patrol. r**, “Terrific Din” Whenever a Japanese patrol launcher an attack it sets up a terrific din m attempts to create the idea in,=tt» minds of the troops it is opposing that they are up against a large force. H|i • scheme has not worked very succetti fully lately. But the Japanese let of crackers, yell and chatter with great gusto, as part of this stunt. A trick somewhat more subtle is for a group of Japanese to begin chat tering under cover of the jungle pm. haps 300 or 400 yards away from* Australian group. This trick generally is tried at night. Once the attention of the Australians has been attracted another Japanese group much nearer to them opens fire. They endeavour to draw as close as possible While the Australians are trying to peg the pos tions of the noise-makers. . - Perched in Trees .

At an Australia'n hospital not far from the jpresenf front line on the Owen Stanley ranges front, a wounded Australian told me the other day that the Japanese were adopting a policy of sending scouts through the Jungle right up to the Australian line. Apparently the scouts all spoke English, and they picked up the names of Australian officers, including the noncommissioned officers in charge of patrols. . ‘ The Australian said that the Christian name of his patrol leade^

Down at Milne Bay Japanese ingenu, ity was pressed to the extreme because the R.A.A.F. destroyed most of the equipment of the landing force,, Apparently a large supply of hand gren> ades escaped destruction. At Milp! Bay the Japanese built themselm' nests in the top of coconut trees.’ Thert :; they waited for hours for some unsuj*,' pecting Australian patrol to pass byr Directly Australians came neay the* -' were showered with grenades. Sinsli’ - Japanese patidls attempted to ' lure Australians beneath trees, where ,%■ grenade throwers were perched, ... It was at Milne Bay, too. that th» f Japanese drove powerful tanks tgslißt y our troops. Australian soldiers fajoi?' how to deal with tanks under noymri conditions, but the Japanese'" usedtheirs at night at Milne Bay, and each of <4em was a battery of power*' ful seardelightsv These ternporttjj* dazzled our troops, and made 'mS easier targets for Japanese 'in|cnUmV!: gunners, who advanced tanks. This is no ordinary war AutoaJMv troops are fighting in New GuSSt Australians who already have proved their skill against the best orthodox fighters in tho world are now. in the' process of changing all their-precon-ceived ideas ofr war,. The Japanese? are supremely", cunning, - supremely brave, and at present have the*adv9h-‘ tage of playing on a pitch that■; Sluts. their game. When they lose that ad* ■ vantage .there may be another tale to' tell. • . *, '‘-"iK