JAPANESE LOSSES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 118, 14 February 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE LOSSES

Mopping Up On Huon Peninsula (By Telegraph.—-Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received February 13, 9 p.m.) .SYDNEY, February 13. More than 1200 Japanese dead were found on trails leading to Saidor, New Guinea, between January 25 and February 10. Enemy losses for the whole Huon Peninsula campaign have been officially given at nearly 14,000. .Most of these Japanese died from starvation, disease and privation. Australian and native Papuan infantry patrols are now searching the hinterland hills for hard-pressed Japanese survivors. These enemy troops face a nightmare journey in their attempt to by-pass Americanheld ‘Saidor to link up with other Japanese forces round Bogadjim (56 air miles west of Saidor). They must blaze trails through precipitious jungle CDuntfV. • Australians who finally joined with the Americans to end the Huon leninsula campaign advanced 90 miles in the last 16 days of their trek. Bad weather and river obstacles halted the advance lor three days, but the heavily laden troops still contrived to average six miles daily over a track that was often knee-deep in mud. The Australians forded 10 swift-flowing mountain streams and rivers in these last stages of their drive. Men were washed off their feet and carried downstream, but fortunately none were lost. Japanese stragglers caught on the trail often waited stupidly for death. They made no attempt to escape and offered only futile resistance. Only a few hundred of some 10,000 Japanese troops entrusted 1 witji the defence of western New Britain 'are believed to remain in the area. The great majority have been wiped out. A handful -escaped with the enemy commander, Lieutenant-General Matsuda. Others are starving in the jungle. The highly successful American landing at Cape Gloucester was made against the advice of former New Britain residents, who warned of the difficulties of the monsoonal season —December to March.However, torrential rains proved just aS embarrassing to -the Japanese defenders as to the attackers, and the American campaign ran exactly to schedule.

JAP. BARGES SUNK

South-west Pacific Figures (By Telegraph. —Press Assn,— Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received February 13, 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, February 13. A total of 300. Japanese barges were sunk by air attack in ithe South-west Pacific during December and January. Thirty-two other barges were probably sunk and 154. damaged. These figures, compiled from General MacArthur’s daily communiqties, indicate the mounting toll taken of enemy barge traffic by Allied air and sea attacks. The Japanese lost many troops as well as quantities of supplies when their barges were sunk. With their merchant shipping severely punished by persistent Allied air blows, the Japanese have been forced to rely on barges to carry their inter-island supplies. Hundreds of these barges hide in rivers and creeks by day and move along the coasts at night.- Before it was disrupted by Allied air attacks and finally severed -by American landings at Arawe. Cape Gloucester, the Japanese ran a regular barge supply service from New Britain to New Guinea. Both in New Guinea and in the 'Solomons the barges were widely used in efforts to evacuate enemy troops. Varying iu size up to 100 feet long, some of these barges are capable of carrying more than 100 men at eight knots. They are, however, highly vulnerable to air attack.

WAKE ISLAND

Attack By U.S. Bombers ('Received February 18, 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, February 12. Wake Island was attacked by Navy bombers on Thursday. It was the second attack in two days and the fourth in 11. days. A Pacific Fleet communique says the attack was made without loss. Raids on the Japanese-held Marshall Islands were continue!!, over 100 tons of bombs being dropped. There was no fighter opposition. United States warships bombarded an important atoll without drawing return firei Colonel Knox announced that ViceAdmiral John Towers, comthander of the Pacific Fleet air forces, has been appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Ocean areas and second in command to Admiral Nimitz. Colonel Knox pointed out that Admiral Nimitz was not an airman, and thus it was appropriate for his deputy to have air experience. Writing in the “New York Times,” Hanson Baldwin says the appointment' is a further recognition of the importance of air power in naval warfare. Admiral Towers will have great operations and planning responsibility, and will be in a position to influence strategy and tactics. However, this does not imply a change in broad strategy or the tactics which were so successful at Kwajalein. In the Tiddim area Allied forces have occupied a hill feature and Japanese positions in the Fort White area without opposition, states a South-east Asia communique. Japanese continued attacks on our lines of communication on the Arakan front. All these attacks were repulsed and, though heavy fighting has now continued nine days on this front, our troops have not given any ground and have inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. Our forces continued their advance in the Kaladan area, and are now some miles south of Kaladan village. Chinese troops made a slight advance east of Taro in the Hukawng Valley. The usual air activity was carried out, ineluding a raid on supply dumps at J’rome, where large fires were started, and attacks were made on an enemy-occupied village, rivercraft and motor transport. None of our aircraft are missing.

LABOUR CONSCRIPTION IN JAPAN

NEW YORK, February 11. The Japanese Government has ordered a drastic extension of the national labour conscription law, states the Tokio official radio. Males aged from 12 to 60, and unmarried females from 12 to 40 are now subject to the labour draft. The extension follows the repeated demands of Japanese leaders for increased production of aircraft, ships, and munitions, and the Government labour mobilization cotiucil has aouroved it