EFFORT TO LAND TROOPS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23811, 3 December 1942, Page 5

EFFORT TO LAND TROOPS

Japanese Destroyers Off New Guinea

ALLIES CLOSING ON BUNA

(Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 2. The Japanese are making their sixth determined effort to bring reinforcements to Lieutenant-General Horn s beleaguered troops at Buna. Four destroyers are engaged in the attempt, and Allied bombers have already sepred direct hits or at least near misses on them. The latest reports, however, say that the Japanese task force has not been repulsed, and is still steaming south towards Papua. / Less than 10 square miles of tern-' tory remains to the Japanese in Papua, and to-day’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters reports: “The Allied ground forces are slowly contracting their grip on the enemy.” New Guinea war correspond-

ents write of the Japanese “fighting with the determination and savagery of trapped animals.” Between Buna and Gona, the enemy holds a beadihead less than a mile deep, which has now been cut by Australian units. There are four main points of Japanese resistance, and for 12 days the Allied pressure against them has net slackened. But the enemy’s defences have been ingeniously contrived and are evidently the result of long preparation. The Japanese posts are well camouflaged by heavy undergrowth! Armaments have been arranged in a semi-circle, with strong outer machinegun posts protecting the inner mortar and artillery emplacements. Extremely marshy land fronts these strongnoints, which can be attacked effectively only along narrow causeways of fairly dry ground. Some Allied units have suffered severe casualties in advancing against withering fire down these solitary avenues of approach. The Allied air forces, operating in close support of the ground troops, on Tuesday shot down two Japanese fighters and a dive-bomber. Landing strips only a few miles from Buna are being used to bring up Allied supplies. Some of these fields are within view of Japanese observers. “Every aeroplane they see landing is just another surety that the enemy’s days at Buna are numbered," comments a correspondent.

OFFENSIVE IN PACIFIC

ALLIES SAID TO BE PLANNING MOVES

(Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Hec. 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 2. . Authoritative circles in Washington are reported to have declared that a new Allied military the southwest Pacific is already in the making. Usually well-informed circles say that the Allied progress in Papua is so satisfactory that General Mac Arthur is now engaged in planning his lines of supply for later moves. However, the battle of attrition for Buna was not yet ended, and the fate of current Japanese reinforcement attempts must prove important. Con-

tinued holding on at Buna by the enemy would delay Allied counteroffensive plans. According to Washington reports the accumulation of evidence indicates that the Japanese fear that the Americans will soon attempt a further northward dash. Inspired hints are said to have been dropped in Washington, indicating that the United States Navy is fully aware of the complete extent of enemy efforts to create a new base on New Georgia, in the north-west Solomons, and also that Washington will not allow the North African campaign to drain resources from the Pacific. The naval correspondent of the Associated Press of America says: “Reports indicate that the Japanese may be attempting to develop a large base in the centre of the Solomons. For the third successive day a Navy communique has described American a ; r action in the New Georgia Islands area, although enemy activities there have apparently been minor. “Naval authorities have pointed out that the Japanese may be establishing strong bases in New Georgia as a preliminary to returning to the Guadalcanar area in force. New Georgia is only 200 miles to the north-west, facilitating air attacks and reconnaissance over the American-held area, and enabling Japanese surface units to operate offensively and defensively from the islands.”