CAPTURE OF AIRFIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 65, 14 September 1943, Page 5

CAPTURE OF AIRFIELD

AUSTRALIANS AT SALAMAUA (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.!

SYDNEY, September 13,

An Australian militia unit has captured the airfield at Salamaua. The troops daringly swam the flooded Francisco River, seized the airfield, and beat off an enemy counter-attack. The capture of this objective means that the Allied forces now control practically all the mainland approaches to the narrow isthmus which connects with Salamaua Peninsula, except in the northern sector where fighting continues.

This rapid new development is reported in General Mac Arthur's latest communique. The Japanese are believed to have defensive positions on the isthmus, which is 300 yards long and a mile wide, and artillery on the peninsula beyond. In these positions they may make a last-ditch stand. Torrential rain falling over the area is increasing the difficulties of the Australians.

On the front north of Salamaua, the combined American and Australian force closing in on the enemy base from the south is mopping up isolated enemy outposts.

FLOODED RIVER CROSSED

In the drive against Lac, more troops of the landing force have crossed the flooded Busu River. A weak enemy counter-attack on the river bridgehead was easily repulsed. The Allied force in the Markham Valley has advanced 17 miles from Nadzab airfield to Heath's Plantation, eight miles from Lac, where skirmishing with enemy outposts is reported. Airborne reinforcements are still pouring into Nadzab and pressing along the trail, in support of the advance elements forming the western prong of the pincers movement on Lac. The Allied air forces on' Saturday bombed and strafed Japanese positions and shipping over a wide area in the South-west Pacific. A reconnaissance unit attacked a convoy of three cargo ships off Wewak, in northern New Guinea, with unobserved results. The ships probably carried reinforcements and supplies for the garrison at Wewak.

Allied light naval craft on night patrol sank three Japanese barges and damaged a fourth in the Finschhafen area, New Guinea. In the Cape St. George area, New Ireland, reconnaissance aircraft made three attacks on enemy shipping, setting fire to a 3000-ton freighter and a small cargo ship. The aerodrome at Cape Gloucester, on New Britain, was bombed, and four barges were destroyed or damaged off the coast. Bivouac areas*on GaroVe Island, in the Vitu Islands, north of New Britain, were bombed and strafed at night and fires were started.

Allied long-range, fighters made three low-level daylight attacks on an airfield adjacent to villages on Selaru Island, in the Tenimber Group, north of Darwin. A truck pool, supply dumps, and bivouacs' were strafed. Numerous fires broke out in the area. An'enemy coastal vessel was sunk off-shore.

SOLOMONS SIMMERING,

Except for occasional clashes between small craft at sea and routine air raids, the Solomons area is quietly simmering, while the Allies stoke up for their next big show, writes Winston Turner, an Australian war correspondent with the South Pacific Fleet. However, Vella- Lavella, the most northerly island of the New Georgia group, is likely to develop into a hot spot at any time. We have established bridgeheads in the south, but the Japanese still hold the northern section of the island, and ground fighting on a fairly large scale may flare up any day. Following their policy of making our progress towards Rabaul as costly as possible, the Japanese, are trying to reinforce Vella Lavella. Our night patrol bombers spotted three enemy ships putting in on Friday. A bomb nit one ship squarely, silencing most of her anti-aircraft guns and causing a heavy internal explosion.

Planes and motor torpedo-boats are still chopping up enemy barges. Our patrol units on Saturday attacked 12 enemy barges round the Vella and Kulambangra coasts, destroying nine and damaging the others.

Off Buka Island, north of Bougainville Island, night reconnaissance units bombed three small enemy cargo ships, causing explosions and fires.

Life is being made miserable for the big enemy garrison on blockaded Kulambangra Island by daily bombings. Escorted medium and dive-bombers in two attacks on Saturday bombed and strafed barge hide-outs and bivouac areas, causing explosions and fires.