FALL IMMINENT

Evening Star, Issue 25032, 26 November 1943, Page 3

FALL IMMINENT

JAP. BASE OF SATELBERG ENEMY RESISTANCE EEIKG OVERCOME (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) (Kec. 11.50 A.m.) SYDNEY. Nov. 25. The fall of the Japanese strongpoint of Sateiberg is imminent. Australian troops are now within 400 yards of the summit of Sateiberg Heights. Fine weather during the past few flays has hardened track surfaces, and heavy Matilda tanks, which have been a contributing factor toward the rapid Australian advance, may now be able to drive right on to the final objective.

The Japanese have fought a stubborn defensive action, their known casualties numbering more than 300, while the \ustraliaii casualties have been a mere fraction of this total. The figures are made even more remarkable by the fact that the Australians have been attacking uphill against strongly-prepared positions. The use of tanks, and heavyaerial and artillery bombardment combined with the excellent jungle craft of the A.T.F. troops, account for the disparity in the casualty rate. War correspondents in the area report that captured Japanese defences include deep-cut gun positions and timbered foxholes linked in depth hy an elaborate svstem of crawl trenches.

' ' During the past few days the retreating Japanese have left behind a number of messages to the Australians. These are being eagerly sought by souvenir hunters. One boastfully optimistic message read : " 'Good-bye. friends, we will see you in Australia.' If you do not know it. those behind yon know that our forces are stronger than yours." The fall of Sateiberg will mean the end of Japanese resistance on the TTiroir Peninsula. Finschhafen, which was cnotured from the Japanese on (Vtober 2. was the starting point for the present Australian offensive; Enemy forces there retreated to Sateiberg, where thev had nrepared strong: defensive positions after the fall of Finschhafen. Later in the month they made a vain and co=tlv attempt to break through to the coast again. VENOMOUS AND EXHAUSTIVE BATTLEGROUND. An Australian correspondent, -who recently returned from the Finsch-hafen-Satelberg area, urging the need for an overhaul of our soldiers' personal issue in certain directions, says some items of United States equipment are 4o a marked degree superior for jungle warfare. He instances American tlyiproof eating utensils, a more convenient type of water bottle, and a mosquitoproof hammock. High praise is given to the American units who had to co-operate with the Australians in the recent New Guinea land fighting—particularly the beach scouts, engineers, and air co-operation officers. "It would be buying a fight to say a word against ' the Yanks,' " writes the correspondent, " and I am certain that as the action develops the friendship between the two armies will become warmer still." Declaring tha't New Guinea is the world's most venomous and exhausting battleground, the correspondent adds: " I doubt whether any other country could present such enervating extremes —coastal depressions, where not a breath of air stirs to temper the heat, and towering mountains whose summits even the natives shun beeauss of their 1 terrible wind storms. A soldier knows that New Guinea calls for a price for every minute he treads its uncertain way, and every part of his daily routine brands him as a stranger—the purifying tablet he must put in every drop of crystal-clear river water to deaden its germs; the vitamin pills lie takes in place of fresh food and to ward off scurvy; the salt he consumes to counter excessive sweating; the daily specific to fight malaria ; the rigid wearing of gaiters so that the mites in the kunai grass will not bite his legs and give him scrub typhus." Australian newspapers in editorials have recently been agitating for an increase of the official news of the New Guinea land battles, claiming that the bref headquarters announcements have not given an adequate appreciation of the severity of. the fighting nor of the enemy strength opposing the Australian [ forces.