JAPANESE FORCES FLEE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23848, 18 January 1943, Page 5

JAPANESE FORCES FLEE

CLASH ON SANANANDA ROAD

ENEMY POSITION CAPTURED

(Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.PA.) (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 17,

“The sudden cracking of the morale of the Japanese in their 700 yards by 400 yards outer defence pocket on the Sanananda road was one of the most dramatic and unexpected events of the Papuan campaign.” This comment on the first large-scale attack against the enemy positions at Sanananda is made by the “Sydney Sunday Sun” war correspondent. The Allied forces occupied an elaborate system of j?ill-boxes and camouflaged trenches, and captured quantities of equipment, including machineguns and light artillery. They killed more than 150 Japanese and took prisoners.

The assault revealed in Saturday’s communique from General MacArthur’s Headquarters was launched on Thursday morning, after the Allied forces had waited for two days in rainfilled trenches. The positions from which the attack was made were gained last Tuesday in an Australian drive. In the first stages of Thursday’s thrust against the defences (which many believed the Japanese would be able to hold for weeks), little headway was made. Then suddenly the enemy broke. In parties of up to 50 they abandoned their strongpofnts and fled into the jungle, leaving behind a few volunteers to fight on. This remaining opposition was soon wiped out with small losses to the attacking Allied forces. The fleeing Japanese also left behind their sick and wounded. Although they appeared to have ample supplies of food, most of the prisoners taken were emaciated and suffering from dysentery and beriberi. Many enemy troops who had died from tropical diseases were unburied. Australians and Americans, supported by aircraft and artillery, are closing in on the remaining one and a half miles of .the Sanananda fortress area, where our attacks first began 58 days ago. About 50 Japanese have been killed in the recent fighting in this salient, which contains formidable defences. ' . .

The destruction of the remaining enemy force will not be easy. . While the Allies have superiority in men and arms, the nature tof the country does not permit the full exploitation of these advantages. The burden of attack still rests primarily on our infantry, who must live and fight on slippery tracks a foot deep in mud. Beyond these narrow „ causeways are swamps, most of them armpit deep—and after the recent tropical rains they are practically impassable. With the announcement of the Allied success at Sanananda comes the news that a three-day raid on* Mubo (the advanced outpost for the Japanese Salamaua garrison) by Australian jungle troops resulted in the destruction of the enemy headquarters, a radio station, and supply dumps. Some commentators believe' that the raid, which has now heralds the opening stages of a major drive on the enemy’s bases at Salamaua and Lae. Attacks against these /strong Japanese positions would, however, require the employment of considerable forces. Nevertheless the enemy defences are being- thoroughly tested in preparation for the inevitable future Allied moves. Australian patrols remain active in the Mubo area, where about 500 Japanese have been killed in seven months’ jungle skirmishing.

FIGHTING IN BURMA

ALLIED AIR RAIDS

(Rec. 9.45 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. 16. An Indian joint communique states: “There are no important changes in the situation in the Arakan district. The enemy attack on our troops in front of Rathedaung on Thursday night was repulsed. . “It is now confirmed that all three of the Japanese aircraft which attempted to attack Calcutta last night were shot down by one of our fighters. “Yesterday, Blenheims of the Royal Air Force continued their attacks on Japanese positions in the Akyab area. Fighters attacked enemy transports on the Chindwin river, and also on the Irrawaddy. Last night our bombers attacked Magwe aerodrome. From these and other operations none of our aircraft is missing.” An earlier report said that:— It is reported from Chungking that American fighters have dive-bombed Japanese supply boats on the Irrawaddy river at Bhamo, destroying two barges and a tug. They also strafed the warehouse area. The pilots reported that the centre of Bhamo was devastated as a result /of previous raids by bombers. They saw little evidence of Japanese troops. Three Japanese bombers in attempting to raid the Calcutta district were shot down in flames by one night fighter. The raiders, which were previously driven back by night fighters, jettisoned their bombs away from the target area.

BERLIN BOMBED

LATEST R.A.F. RAIDS

TARGETS IN NORTHERN FRANCE

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 17. Berlin, including the central area, was bombed by machines of the Royal Air Force last night. No details are yet available, but the Germans have already admitted the raid. The Berlin radio says the Royal Air Force damaged buildings in residential districts within the greater Berlin area.

This is the first bombing raid on Berlin since that made by the Soviet Air Force in August. It is 14 months since the... Royal Air Force made the 1200-mile trip to bomb Berlin. On Friday night Boston bombers attacked Cherbourg, meeting heavy antiaircraft fire. Their bombs were observed to fall right among the docks. Accompanying Spitfires did not encounter any enemy opposition. The Bay of Biscay submarine base at Lorient was also attacked, the raiders flying through thick cloud to come out over their target in clear moonlight. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered. One pilot counted 10 large fires. Two machines were lost.

Lorient is the Germans’ most importsubmarine base in France. This is indicated by the extent of its antiaircraft defences. The Germans started erecting submarine shelters there in 1940 and they now have sufficient accommodation for 30 U-boats. A third shelter, capable of accommodating 10 U-boats, is under construction. “Although there were heavy clouds for most of the way from England, the sky cleared a few miles from Lorient and for an hour our bombers were able to pick out their targets in the bright moonlight,” states the Air Ministry news service, in describing the bomber raid on the German U-boat base at Lorient. Big Fires Started

“In spite of heavy flak, big fires were started in the target area. The gunners of some of the bombers found their turrets freezing up and ice forming inside the aircraft. The pilots’ oxygen masks and the inter-communica-tion microphones attached to their helmets also froze.

“The captain of one Halifax reported 10 large fires, also a particularly bright red explosion near one of the dry docks, suggesting that an oil tank had been hit.”

Many squadrons of Spitfires accompanied Roval Air Force Bostons to bomb the docks at Cherbourg in bril-

liant sunshine on Friday. Heavy flak was encountered over the harbour, but there was no fighter opposition. A squadron leader who led a wing of Spitfires said: “We kept well in to the bombers all the way and just as they were turning to come out we saw several bombs explode right in the dock area. There was a tremendous lot of flak.” One enemy aircraft was destroyed during.Friday night’s attack on eastern England. Anti-aircraft guns shot down one enemy aircraft on Friday afternoon.

Goods trains carrying German war material in France and Belgium are now armed with machine-guns. Some are even equipped with light anti-air-craft guns to oppose Royal Air Force attacks.

On Friday, two Spitfire pilots attacking a freight train were met by machine-gun fire half-way down a line of trucks, but this did not prevent them effectively shooting up the engine and oil containers in the train. Meanwhile, two Royal New Zealand Air Force Spitfire pilots attacked goods trains near Anglcsqueville, exploding one boiler with cannon shells.