FIGHTING FLARES UP AGAIN

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 7, 3 October 1944, Page 5

FIGHTING FLARES UP AGAIN

Bougainville Island

-SYDNEY, October 2. Land fighting has flared up again on Bougainville Island, in the northern Solomons. American troops on Thursday engaged Japanese patrols north and east of the big Allied base at Torokina, on the east coast of Bougainville. This is the first land action reported on the island for five months, A force of 20,000 Japanese is officially estimated to be isolated on the island. It has no hope of escape. For months Allied ( bombers have carried out a war of attrition against these Japanese.

Enemy forces encountered on Thursday were repulsed after suffering casualties.

HARASSING ENEMY

N.Z. Air Squadron (R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service.) BOUGAINVILLE, September 27. Official figures place the number of Imps remaining in the BougainvilleNew Britain-New Ireland triangle at 55,000. With machineguns and bombloads fighter-bombers of an R.N.Z.A.F. Corsair squadron have been assisting to tie that force down.

This squadron, which has now returned to New Zealand, wound up its successful tour of operations in the North Solomons with a field day hunting Japanese. Their highest bag of Japanese for any one day of the tour was taken during the final dawn sweep. This numbered 51 killed, with many more wounded, and brought their total enemy killed to 141 for the tour. These figures do not include unconfirmed casualties. The total is the highest credited to any squadron since the New Zealanders commenced operations on fighter-bombers. The enemy were found in large numbers at the Sborl.bmd Islands. The commanding officer of the squadron, Squadron Leader C. K. Bush, D.F.C., of 'Wei; lington, and Pilot Officer B. Morgan, of Auckland, made the initial strike, surprising a party of Japs fishing near two barges. Caught in a cross-fire of twelve .Jwalibrc machineguns, the enemy had no chance. Ten were killed and both barges were destroyed. Pilot Officer R. McGeelian. of Auckland, and Flight Sergeant D. Barker, of To Rapa, accounted for 24 others, while Flight Sergeants C. Palmer, of Stratford, and O. Tappin. of Feilding, also used their guns effectively in strafing another party of the enemy. Batches of between 50 and 00 were seen swimming. Some of them escaped.