CLIMAX EXPECTED SOON

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 1, 27 September 1943, Page 5

CLIMAX EXPECTED SOON

Drive On Finschhafen AUSTRALIANS TAKE AIRFIELD (By ' Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received September 26, 9.5 p.m.). - SYDNEY, September 26. The drive by the Australians to capture the Japanese base of Finschhafen, in New Guinea, is moving rapidly to a climax. Our troops are less than a mile' from the town, the fall of which is -believed to be imminent. The latest communiques from General MacArthur’s headquarters report the capture of an airfield two miles north of the town, and the crossing of the Burn! River in the face of enemy opposition. Allied fighters intercepted a force of nine Japanese bombers covered by 30' fighters which was approaching to attack our ground forces. The enemy planes were forced to jettison their bombs harmlessly before reaching the target. One enemy fighter was shot down and another probably destroyed. Two Allied fighters were lost. General. MacArthur’s heavy bombers on reconnaissance off New Ireland sank a 2000-ton Japanese cargo shipEnemy aerodromes aud installations on New Britain are feeling the weight of persistent attacks by Allied bombers. A raid before dawn on the enemy’s new airfield at Cape Hoskins started fires in supply and ammunition dumps. One of our planes failed to return.

Dive-bombing attacks were made on Gasmata stand and many hits were scored on the target area. Bombers also pounded the building, area on the Japanese-occupied Rooke Island, in Vitiaz Strait, between New Guinea and New Britain.

In the central Solomons, Admiral Halsey’s bombers at night attacked three medium cargo vessels and a cruiser off Buka Island, with unknown results-