TANKS SURPRISE JAPANESE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24112, 23 November 1943, Page 5

TANKS SURPRISE JAPANESE

AUSTRALIAN DRIVE ON SATELBERG TROOPS CLOSING ON THE ENEMY

(Rec. 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY. Nov.-22, The Australian forces attacking Satelberg in New Guinea continue to increase, their pressure on the enemy. The Japanese entrenched around the township are still being pounded by Allied tanks and artillery. The Australians are receiving telling air support. Allied fighter patrols minimised the enemy air opposition to the Australian advance by dispersing 27 raiders, and shooting down one. Low-flying Mitchell medium bombers and Thunderbolt fighters made sweeps along the northern New Guinea coast. In the Hansa Bay area the Japanese failed to put up any air interception, but anti-aircraft fire cost the Allied forces one aircraft. Seven enemy barges and a lugger were destroyed. Australian ground forces are closing in on the Japanese defences at Satelberg, 10 miles from Finschhafen, on the north-east New Guinea coast. The Australians have had to overcome heavy resistance and difficult jungle conditions. The Allied air force continues to give direct support to the ground troops. Medium bombers have dropped 44 tons of explosives on the enemy defences, causing fires and heavy damage in the target area. The 28-ton British Matilda tanks were a big .surprise to the Japanese. Smashing through the jungle, the Matildas quickly drove the Japanese from their last strong points on the vital Coconut ridge. This ridge, commanding the main track 3000 yards from Satelberg, had seriously hindered the advance. The Australian troops are now less than a mile from the town.

Elaborate precautions were taken to ensure that the tanks would be a complete surprise to the enemy. After they had been landed from barges, the Matildas wore concealed in coconut plantations. They were later moved up to (he Satelberg track, after bridges on the coast had been strengthened. A heavy artillery barrage provided sound cover to conceal the noise of the tanks’ movement. Again they were hidden, this time in thick bamboo, to wait for Wednesday’s attack. Australian war correspondents who watched the offensive say that the tanks moved out towards Satelberg just before dawn. Then Australian 25pounders poured shells into 'the first objective. Coconut ridge, over an area roughly 300 by 150 yards, studded with enemy defences. American rocket guns, firing selfpropelled fragmentation bombs, which were being used for the first time in New Guinea, joined in with the 25pounders. Under this barrage the tanks moved forward, and in a few minutes their cannons and machineguns were blazing at the first Japanese bunker lying across the trail. Then Australian infantry took a hand, and shortly afterwards the Air Force went into action. United States Lightnings provided cover for Royal Australian Air Force Vuitee Vengeance divebombers and Marauders and medium bombers. After this, the tanks moved along Coconut ridge, blasting out stubborn enemy pockets of resistance. They were followed by infantry, which completed the mooping-up. The condition of the ridge after its capture had testified to the accuracy and hitting power of the Allied artillery and aerial bombardment. Many strongly built defences were destroyed by fragmentation bombs from the American rocket guns. , „ ~ Again on Thursday and Friday, Australian troops enlarged their gains. Satelberg now tuwers 1200 feet above them. In spite of the ferocity of the fighting, the Allied casualties are described as “incredibly light.” However, hard battling lies ahead before Satelberg falls. The Australians first used tanks in New Guinea in the Buna and Sanananda campaigns. They played a decisive role in crushing the resistance. The Japanese attempted to use tanks when they landed at Milne Bay more than a year ago, but _ they became bogged down in the jungle swamps and had to be abandoned.

ENGINEERS’ WAR

TOUGH CONDITIONS IN PACIFIC (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY. Nov. 22. The Pacific jungle campaigns are described by Major-General Eugene Riebold, Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, as the toughest engineering job he has ever seen. MajorGeneral Riebold, and members of his staff, are making a tour of the southwest and south Pacific battle zones. They are at present in New Guinea, where they will visit forward areas. “I marvel at what our engineers have done,” Major-General Riebold said. “The war here is more than ever an engineers’ war. In North Africa, for example, we had fine ports, and rail and road links right from Casablanca to Tunis. Here you get your supplies to the beach and find nothing but jungle.”

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

BRITAIN. AND RUSSIA APPOINT MEMBERS FIRST MEETINGS LIKELY NEXT WEEK (N.2. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 22. The European Advisory Commission representing Britain, Russia, and the United States, the establishment of which was agreed on at the Moscow Conference, may hold its first meetings in London next week. The appointment of Mr William Strang, Assistant-Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign Office, as represeptative on the commission, is

officially announced. Mr Strang’s part in the Moscow Conference where he was, in Mr Eden’s words, “the brilliant Foreign Office leader of our team," has also been recognised by the award of K.C.M.G. As representative on the commission he will have the rank of Ambassador.

Russia’s representative will be Mr Fyodor Gusev, Russian Ambassador to Britain.

The name of the United States representative has not yet been announced.

EUROPE’S UPROOTED PEOPLES MAGNITUDE OF POST-WAR PROBLEM (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 22. More than 30,C00,000 people have been transplanted or torn from their homes since the outbreak of the war, says Eugene M. Kulischer, in a book written for the International Labour Office. This huge total, says Mr Kulischer, does not include all the people in Europe now living away from their pre-war homes, the millipns in the enemy armed forces who are stationed abroad, war prisoners, or the millions of Italian and German refugees who, during the last year, fled or evacuated from heavily bombed cities. The number of Jews uprooted from their homes may total more than 4,000,000. Foreign labour employed in Germany, according to this writer’s latest knowledge, includes 1,300,000 Poles, 800,000" French civilians, 1,100,000 French war prisoners, 1,500,00b Russian civilians, 500,000 Russian prisoners of war, and 350,000 Italian civilians. “Before their repatriation after the war these uprooted peoples will have to be fed, clothed, and medically treated. The stoppage of the. German war machine will deprive millions of war prisoners and imported workers of employment—a problem the solution of which will be beyond the powers of any single country.”

ENEMY SUPPLIES • BOMBED

AIR WAR IN THE PACIFIC

(Rec. 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY. Nov. 22. Liberator bombers from the southwest Pacific Command at the week-end unloaded 138 tons of bombs on the big Japanese supply dump area at Ring Ring Plantation, near Gasmata, New Britain. Apart from the Rabaul raids this was the heaviest attack to date on any enemy base in New Britain. The bombers left the entire area in smoking ruins. A 10,000-ton enemy cargo ship was left in flames and when last observed was being abandoned by the crew, after an attack by a United States Navy Catalina in the St. George Channel, New Britain, on Friday night. The vessel was part of a convoy which also included two destroyers and two medium-sized tankers. The convoy was attacked about 45 miles north-west of Rabaul. General MacArthur’s communique today also reports another long-range bombing attack on the Japanese naval base of Sourabaya, Java, Oil refineries and aerodromes were also raided but adverse weather prevented observation of result* When Japanese aeroplanes attempted to raid the American beachhead at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville Island, they were intercepted by Allied fighters, which shot down 16 enemy machines for the loss of two. Admiral Halsey’s bombers have maintained their incessant attacks on the enemy aerodromes on both Buka and Bougainville.