ENEMY FIGHTS BACK

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24152, 11 January 1944, Page 5

ENEMY FIGHTS BACK

Australians Reach Defences of Sio

OTHER FRONTS QUIETER

(Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 10. Australian troops are now meeting strong Japanese resistance in their coastal drive up the Huon Peninsula, New Guinea. .They are now about eight miles from Sio, the administrative centre and staging point for enemy barges on the peninsula. It has been suggested that the Japanese may attempt an evacuation of the Huon Peninsula by barges from Sio. „ . , The enemy rearguard is standing along the Uneja river and is giving the Australians their first formidable opposition for many days. The Australians are attacking with tanks and artillery and air support. General Mac Arthur's communique to-day reports no heavy fighting on the other land fronts in the south-west

Pacific area. No enemy counterattacks have yet been made against the Americans at the Saidor beachhead. which is about 60 miles northwest of Sio. Allied patrol torpedo-boats destroyed five barges laden with troops and supplies midway between Bogadjim and Saidor. Thunderbolts, making a surprise strafing attack on 15 enemy barges on this section of the coast on Friday, left several damaged. American marines at Cape Gloucester,. western New Britain, have reorganised for another push against the Japanese at Borgen. Bay. Liberators attacked enemy positions in the area with 58 tons of explosives. Several patrol skirmishes occurred. In the Ramu valley. New Guinea, the Australians are pushing patrols northwards from Shaggy ridge. Japanese artillery has intermittently shelled their positions on the ridge. Mitchells, bombing and strafing along the enemy supply trail from Madang to the Ramu valley on Saturday, destroyed a bridge. Air Offensive More than 100 aircraft took part in an air battle over Cape St. George, New Ireland, on Friday. Allied fighters shot down 10 Japanese fighters, with two others probably destroyed, and lost six aircraft themselves. The Allied fighters were escorting a strong formation of Dauntless and Avenger aircraft which bombed enemy installations at Cape St. George. Solomons-based Liberators and Royal Australian Air Force Beauforts on Friday attacked Vunakanau aerodrome, Rabaul. The heaviest bombing raid reported by General MacArthur’s communique to-day was on Alexishafen, northern New Guinea, where Liberators dropped 92 tons of bombs.

ALLIED ADVANCE

TOKYO RADIO’S COMMENT (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 9. The official Tokyo, radio said: The enemy has advanced his strong force to Bougainville and New Britain in order to establish air bases, and thereby has completely crashed into our air mastery sphere. “The fact that the enemy is advancing by using fighters as weir as large type bombers indicates that his rear supply has been considerably solidified.’’

SUBMARINE Y.C. IN AUSTRALIA

(Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY. Jan. 10. Submarines would play an important part in the Pacific war, said Commander A. C. Miers, V.C., formerly commander of the submarine Torbay and now on a liaison mission in Australia.

Commander Miers. who is 37 years of age. is a Scot. Ho was appointed to command the Torbay, then a new submarine, in November, 1940. He brought with him to Australia the Torbay’s “skull and crossbones flag,” which bears a record of the sinking of 12 ships by torpedo and 25 by shellfire. Daggers on the flag represent secret exploits referred to as “cloak and dagger parties.” One such exploit was the rescue of 60 New Zealanders and 50 Australians from Crete.

ANGLO-AMERICAN CO-OPERATION

COMMISSION IN CARIBBEAN

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, Jan. 9. The first report of the Anglo-Ameri-can Caribbean Commission, just issued, makes it clear, says the Colonial Office, that a most promising start has been made in this sphere of AngloAmerican co-operation. Among the commission’s immediate tasks is the stimulation of local production of food. The commission’s work has largely centred round war-time problems, but this does not mean that long-term plans have been neglected.

NEW BERLIN PLANNED BIGGER AND BETTER CITY LONDON. Jan. 9. Goebbels is making elaborate plans to rebuild the enormous bomb devastated areas of Berlin. He has mustered 125 of the best architects in Germany, whose task will be to make Berlin the largest city in Europe. Writing in “Das Reich.” Goebbels announced that the new Berlin would be 30 miles in diameter and have a population of 10.000,000. Squares and ornamental lakes would decorate and make a real garden city. Before the war Berlin’s population was 4,500,000. The area of the city proper was 27 square miles. Greater Berlin covered 340 square miles. According to Swedish correspondents, the British air raids have destroyed 50 per cent, of the city and badly damaged another 25 per cent.

N.Z. DELEGATION’S PROGRAMME

MEETINGS ARRANGED IN AUSTRALIA

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.i CANBERRA, Jan. 10. A joint approach by Australia and New Zealand to a conference in London on post-war problems in the Pacific will be sought here next week when the New Zealand Cabinet delegation headed by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) will meet the Australian War Cabinet.

The discussions are considered to be a curtain-raiser for subsequent meetings of Empire prime ministers in London.

The New Zealand Ministers will attend meetings of the Australian War Cabinet on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, and a meeting of the War Council on Thursday.