FORMIDABLE OPPOSITION

Evening Star, Issue 25070, 11 January 1944, Page 3

FORMIDABLE OPPOSITION

AUSTRALIANS ON HUON PENINSULA COASTAL DRIVE Oil JAPANESE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) SYDNEY, January 10. Australian troops aio now encountering strong Japanese resistance in their coastal drive up Huon Peninsula (New Guinea). They are about eight! miles from Sio, the administrative < centre and staging point for enemy barges on the peninsula. Jt has been suggested that the Japanese may attempt barge evacuation of Huon Peninsula from Sio. The enemy rearguard is standing along the Ueneja River,, giving the j Australians their first formidable opposition for many days. Our forces are attacking with tank and artillery, as well as air support. General MacArthurjs communique today reports no heavy fighting on other land fronts in the South-west Pacific area. No enemy counter-attacks have yet been made against the Americans at Saidor beachhead, about 60 miles north-west of Sio. Allied patrol and torpedo-boats destroyed five barges laden with troops and supplies midway l , between Bogadjim and Saidor. Thunderbolts, making a surprise strafing attack on 15 enemy barges on this section of the coast on Friday, left several damaged. The American marines at Cape Gloucester (Western New Britain) have reorganised for (another push against the Japanese at Borgen Bay. Wlnile Liberators attacked enemy positions in the area with 58 tons of explosives, several patrol skirmishes occurred.

In Kama Valley (New Guinea) the Australians are pushing patrols northwards from Shaggy Midge. Japanese artillery has intermittently shelled our positions on the ridge. Mitchells, bombing and strafing along the enemy supply trail from Madang to the valley on Saturday, destroyed a bridge. "More than 100 planes took part in an air battle over Cape St. George (New Ireland) on Friday. Allied fighters shot down 10 Japanese fighters, with two others probably destroyed. We lost six planes. Our fighters were escorting a strong formation of Dauntlesses and Avengers which bombed enemy installations at Cape St. George. Solomons-based Liberators and R.A.A.F. Beauforts on Friday attacked Vanakanua aerodrome at Rabaul. The heaviest bombing raid reported by General Mac. Arthur's communique to-day was on Alexishafen (Northern New Guinea), where Liberators dropped 92 tons of bombs.