GRUELLING FIGHTING

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 202, 24 May 1945, Page 7

GRUELLING FIGHTING

Australian Successes On Bougainville (Received May 23, 11 p.m.) MELBOURNE, May 23.

In six months’ gruelling lighting on Bougainville, troops of the Australian Third and Eleventh Divisions have killed more than 5000 Japanese. An Army Department announcement today releases details of the Australian units engaged in these operations. A high tribute is paid to the splendid ail - support of the R.N.Z.A.F. By dropping bombs and depth charges, along the route of the Australians’ advance the New Zealand-manned planes have forced the Japanese to abandon strong defensive positions.

FIRST ARMY H.Q. ON WAY TO EAST Regrouping In America LONDON. May 22. Several hundred officers and men, comprising the headquarters units of the United States First Afiny. are on their way to the Pacific via the United States, but the army which General Hodges will lead against the Japanese will bear little resemblance to I hat which' spear-headed the Allied drive in Europe, says the correspondent of the Associated Press at Press at SHAEF. It may not yet lie disclosed how many combat, units will be retained for the Pacific, but the entire army will be regrouped with personnel coming from a surplus pool which will be formed in the United States under the re-deplo.vihcnt programme. Four United States infantry divisions are to leave the European theatre during June for the United States on their way to the Pacific. The divisions are the E igll l y-six th, Ninety-seventh, Nin e t y-li fI h and One Hundred ami Fourth. In addition, thousands of American troops are being sent to the Pacific direct from Europe. The divisions which were left in the First Army when victory came were transferred to the Third and Ninth Armies, making their divisional totals 19 and 25 respectively. First Army headquarters detachments were ready to move out immediately after VE-day.

MALAYBALAY CAPTURED ON MINDANAO (Received May 23, 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 22.

The Americans on Mindanao captured Malaybalay and secured the nearby airfield, says General MacArthur's communique. The troops met scattered resistance. The Twenty-fourth Division at. Davao advanced four miles to the outskirts of Bunawan, within two miles of Lieanan aerodrome, which is the only Davao air installation in enemy bands. The Sixth Army continues to apply pressure on the enemy defences, in the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains in eastern Luzon.

Australian and Netherlniid East Indies troops on Tarakan have been supported from the air in mopping-ttp operations. Naval units are supporting the ground operations in the Wewak sector.

SUPER-FORTRESSES STRIKE AT HONSHU (Received May 23, 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON. May 22. Super-Fortresses raided southern Honshu, including Nagoya, today. Tokio radio says that about 201) enemy planes raided Japanese installations on Okinawa yesterday.