DESTROYERS OFF NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23809, 1 December 1942, Page 5

DESTROYERS OFF NEW GUINEA

Two of Enemy Force Believed Sunk NO FRESH ALLIED LAND ADVANCE (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 30. Another Japanese attempt to land reinforcements at the Buna-Gona bridgehead has been smashed. An enemy task force of four destroyers was caught in Vitiaz strait, between New Britain and New Guinea, by our Flying Fortresses, about noon on Sunday. Direct hits with 5001b bombs were scored on two warships. Both were left ablaze and listing badly, and are believed to have been sunk. The remaining two destroyers turned and fled north. This is the fifth known effort made by the Japanese to reinforce their forces. A cruiser, four destroyers, a transport, and two smaller craft, some cf them carrying large numbers of

troops, have been sunk, and four other destroyers have been at least seriously damaged and probably sunk in these attempts. An enemy submarine has also bean bombed. Unofficial reports say l£»t other submarines have been sighted recently off the north coast of Papua. Some war correspondents suggest that since heavy losses have attended all the enemy’s efforts to land troops from surface craft, the Japanese may have decided to employ large submarines for the purpose. The recent landing of a strong fresh task force of Japanese marines has diminished the Allied numerical superiority in the Buna area. The war correspondent of the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” says: “A well-conditioned shock force, however small, can make a tremendous difference to a battle in which the-strength of both sides has been impaired by tropical disease and the fatigue of long, arduous jungle fighting.” The land battle in the Buna fortress area is now in its eleventh day. "The capture of the tightly defended area is proving more difficult and probably more costly than most people were encouraged to hope when we were going from success to success across the Owen Stanley Range,” says the "Sydney Morning Herald” war correspondent. “Control of the seaways has undoubtedly been the key to the enemy’s ability to hold out for so long, but this holding action by the Japanese has been sustained only at tremendous cost of ships, men, and material—an expenditure which cannot be kept up indefinitely.” Artillery and Mortar Fire The land fighting still rages furiously, with heavy artillery and mortar fire supporting intensive Allied patrolling. While stiff pressure is being maintained against the enemy, no fresh Allied advances are claimed in today’s communique. “There is no doubt that the Japanese are still in strength inside the beach-head area, and are far from being a routed and beaten force,” comments one correspondent. Allied aircraft continue their close support of our troops. On Sunday Flying Fortresses, Kittyhawks, and Havocs bombed and strafed the Gona sector, and Marauders concentrated against Buna. Havocs and Beaufighters had sucesses in surprise dawn and dusk raids against the Lae aerodrome. Ground-strafing destroyed five Zero fighters, and two others were destroyed by bomb hits. Bombs also fell among a group of eight enemy aircraft, all of which are believed to have been destroyed or at least seriously damaged.

Allied bombers have again struck at Timor. Hudsons bombed the building area at Maobisse. and Beaufighters strafed and set fire to hutments near Baucau. Empty landing barges were also destroyed. More, than 100 Allied airmen who have baled out from doomed aeroplanes over New Guinea have lived to fly and fight again. One American pilot was forced to use his parachute on two successive flights. Two civilians are members of the New Guinea branch of the “Caterpillar Club" (those who have made emergency parachute descents). They are the American war correspondent, Mr Vern Haughland, and an aircraft factory representative. Both had to jump when their aeroplanes became lost in bad weather and ran out of fuel. The hero of the Papuan campaign is an American Army cook, who tasted food left behind by the Japanese on the Soputa-Sanananda track. A cask of beef extract was suspected of being poisoned—but 40 men of a forward unit were down to their emergency rations. Thirty-nine were willing to continue hungry rather than lake any risks, but the cook declared his willingness to try the find. He took a generous portion. A wait of 40 minutes followed, and then the cook turned to his assistant. “Dish it out,” he said, and within five minutes the cask v/as empty. FIELD HOSPITALS BOMBED TWENTY-FIVE KILLED IN JAPANESE RAID (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, Nov. .10, Twenty-five men were killed and many were wounded when 10 Japanese Zero fighters on Friday afternoon strafed and bombed Allied front line casualty clearing stations near the Soputa-Sanananda track in New Guinea. Both hospitals flew Red Cross flags and were marked on the ground by 18ft Red Crosses against a white background. Twenty men were killed af an Australian station and five at an American station. The men killed were medical orderlies and wounded who had just been brought in, as well as two Australian medical officers. Many of the wounded were lying helpless on stretchers, with no chance of escaping. The clearing stations were blown to pieces, and much valuable medical equipment was destroyed. There was no warning of the attack. The Zeros shut off their motors and dived silently on the buildings. While the attack was in progress native bearers continued to come back from the front carrying wounded men. With superb courage the natives took the helpless men to places of comparative safety before seeking cover themselves.

Three war correspondents were also injured in the attack. Mr Tom Fairhall, of the Sydney "Daily Telegraph.” is now in the base hospital. Mr lan Morrison, of “The Times" (London), and Mr Geoffrey Reading, of the Sydney "Daily Mirror,” received superficial injuries, but they are remaining with the advanced troops. It seems certain that the Japanese were aware that their targets were hospitals. Three days earlier their aeroplanes had made a close reconnaissance of the area.