HALMAHERA BASE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 75, 26 September 1944, Page 5

HALMAHERA BASE

JAPANESE TRY TO LEAVE

SYDNEY, September 25. _ The Japanese appear to be attempting to save what they can from their Halmahera tfese, now isolated and rendered impotent by the American invasion of Morotai Island. Allied patrol boats in these waters sank five Japanese barges loaded with oil and other supplies on Friday night. The barges were evidently trying to reach the Philippines or perhaps the Talaud Islands, midway between Morotai and Mindanao. The nature of their cargo leads to the belief that in spite of their possession of the rich oilbearing areas of the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese at some bases are short of oil.

Following last week's ill-fated enemy attempts to evacuate men and stores from Halmahera, the Allied blockade of the area has been tightened. On Saturday night our light naval vessels moved close inshore to strafe Japanese coastal defence positions on Halmahera.

In the past three weeks 2200 tons of bombs have been dropped in Celebes. Airfields and shipping concentrations have been the principal targets. During the weekend General Mac Arthur's bombers maintained this offensive, and they destroyed or seriously damaged 14 barges and several small craft.