AUSTRALIAN PUSH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 47, 24 February 1945, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN PUSH

SHEER CLIFF CLIMBED

Rec. 12.30 p.m. SYDNEY, Feb. 24. Australian troops scaled a sheer 50----foot cliff to drive the Japanese from a strategic ridge in Torricelli Mountains, in northern New Guinea. The Australians had to hack a path through the jungle for five hours to the foot of the cliff. They then climbed hand over hand up the tropical vines oh the cliff face to reach the ridge.

After sharp hand-to-hand fighting the Japanese fled. When the Australians reached the top of the cliff, advanced troops, firing automatic rifles and tommy-guns, kept the Japanese underground while one Australian crept around their flank. This man lobbed grenades into five Japanese dugouts, killing some of the occupants.

The remnants of the Japanese force dashed 70 yards to the main. Japanese position where they held off the Australians until nightfall. The Australians resumed the advance early next morning, but found the Japanese had withdrawn during the night The Japanese had honeycombed their dugouts with mines and booby traps. The leading section of the attacking Australian force was later ambushed by a'large party of Japanese snipers hiding in thickly-vined tall trees.

The Australians suffered casualties before their section could be extricated. In a later skirmish seven Japanese snipers were killed.