DETERMINED JAPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 10, 12 July 1944, Page 6

DETERMINED JAPS

FIGHTING ON NOEMFOOR

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, July 11.

War correspondents who accompanied the American invasion force on Noemfoor Island, say that the Japanese soldier's preference for suicide father than capture has never been demonstrated more openly than on Noemfoor. Enemy remnants split into isolated groups are unable to offer any organised resistance.

. ..The full Japanese death-roll on the island is not known, but the biggest slaughter occurred three days after the landing, when 300 to 400 of the enemy garrison made a savage counter-attack. At least 200 of them were mown down by machine-gun fire. This was the one determined bid made to stop the Americans, who completed the occupation of Noemfoor's strategic airfields without much further opposition. At some points, .elaborate . defence . systems, including; • ■pill-boxes and barbed-wire entanglements, were left unmanned, while newJecruipment abandoned injcluded caterpillar tractors, trucks, and troop carriers. Meanwhile, Allied planes, some of ■which;are operating from Kamiri airfield on Noernfoor, are extending their ; aerial domination of the-entire Dutch INsw Guinea area; Targets reported iin today's communique included Sorong, Babo, Sagan, and Moemi. At ■Babo, intensive , anti-aircraft fire brought down three Allied machines.

In the Central Pacific, General MacArthur's heavy bombers are keeping up ..the, pressure on. the ■ enemy-held Caroline bases. Yap, Palau, and Woleai ■ were all attacked by Liberators on Sunday. Since they first raided Yap ;on June 13, South-west Pacific Liberators^ have dropped 400 tons of bombs on this enemy strong-point in 15 visits. In all the raids, the bombers encountered fighter opposition, some;times meeting as many as 30 Zeros. So far, 37 Japanese fighters have been ■'shot out of action and about 30 more .enemy planes destroyed on the groiinfl! • The losses of Liberators have been ' negligible.