HEAVY BATTERING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 254, 24 July 1944, Page 5

HEAVY BATTERING

Enemy Forces In New Guinea (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received July 23. 7.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 23. Allied sea and air forces are continuing their battering of the Japanese Eighteenth Army trapped in the AitapeWewak area of New Guinea. Enemy attempts to by-pass the American positions inland through the foothills of the Torricelli! Mountains have been limited so far to small detachments. There is tto indication yet of any large-scale movement of Japanese around this southern flank. General MacArthur’s communique today reports only ground patrol activity. Another 105 enemy were killed, which bring their losses to 1474 since the initial attempt to break out. east of Aitape. Americans mopping up on Noemfoor Island. Dutch New Guinea, killed 38 more Japanese and have taken 136 prisoners. The enemy losses on Noemfoor have been 1045, including 324 prisoners. On nearby Biak Island a further 229 of the remnants of the Japanese garrison hare been killed and 57 prisoners taken.

A twin-engined Japanese reconnaissance plane was shot down over the Kimberly Ranges, Western Australia,. on Thursday morning. Two R.A.F. Spitfire pilots made the kill. After a seven months’ lull iu enemy .air activity over the Australian mainland this was the second Japanese plane shot down iu the Darwin area in the past six weeks.