FINSCHHAFEN’S CAPTURE

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1943, Page 5

FINSCHHAFEN’S CAPTURE

EXPECTED TO BE IMMINENT

AUSSIES CROSS RIVER SYDNEY, Sept. 26. Following their capture of Finschhafen airfield, Australian troops were reported in communiques issued to-day to be closing on the town itself. They crossed the Burnt river in the face pf enemy opposition. Allied fighters intercepted a forces of nine Japanese bombers, covered by 30 fighters, approaching to attack our ground forces to jettison their bombs harmlessly. One enemy fighter was shot down, and Whether probably destroyed. Two Allied fighters were lost.

Our bombers raided villages along the Yati river track from Bakerak to Marawasa. In low-level sweeps many tons of bombs and 41,000 rounds of ammunition were expended, resulting in fires in all the villages. Ammunition dumps were destroyed and anti-aircraft positions silenced. There were no enemy air opposition and all the aeroplanes returned.

More details have come in about the landing by Australian troops six miles north of Finschhafen. They met fiercer resistance than that in the landing near Lae a fortnight earlier. The enemy had strengthened the force guarding the beach after the fall of Lae, and it was covered from well-made defence positions with machine-guns, mortars, and grenade throwers. Our casualties were officially described as light—considerably fewer than those of the enemy. The landing was aided bv American warships, which smashed Japanese pill-boxes. One Australian force went inland, while another spread along the coast. A hot reception had been expected by the landing force, because the Japanese had attempted to bomb the convov on tlie previous evening. However, the manifest weakness of the Japanese in the air was a repetition of the landing near Lae. General MacArthur’s heavy bombers on reconnaissance off New Ireland sank a 2000-ton Japanese cargo ship. Enemy aerodromes and installations on New Britain are feeling the weight of persistent attacks by Allied bombers. ' A raid on the enemy’s new airfield at Cape Hoskins started fires in supply and ammunition dumps. One of our planes failed to return. Dive-bombing attacks were made on Gasmata Island, and many hits were scored on the target area. Bombers also pounded the budding area on Rooke. Island in Vitiaz Strait. In the Solomons area Admiral Halsey's bombers attacked three medium cargo vessels and a cruiser off Buka Island at night, with unknown results.

MACARTHUR’S COMMAND AUSTRALIA’S LOST IMPORTANCE (Recd. 10.40'a.m.) NEW YORK, September 26. MacArthur’s South-west Pacific command will probably within six months be reduced to the status of a garrison holding recaptured territories, while drives from other directions aim at the East Indies and Philippines, writes Mr. Sebring, in the New York Herald-Tribune. Realisation of this impending situation undoubtedly prompted MacArthur’s statement implying his ideas of Pacific strategy would not govern future operations. Sebring points out that virtually the entire operational activity of MacArthur's command is now concentrated north-east of Australia, while American forces are consolidating their positions in the Solomons. Obviously all these forces must converge on New Britain, Bougainville and New Ireland. The recently created Central Pacific commanci, under Lieut.-General Richardson at Hawaii gives a hint where the land forces for the area north of New Guinea might come from. Sebring suggests it might take a considerable time for MacArthur to clean up New Guinea. Beyond that is where the rub comes in. He would like to push on the Philippines out it is conceivable by that time plans would call for others to undertake this assignment. The “others” mignt be Lord Mountbatten, moving" east from India or the American naval forces moving west through the Pacific. In either case, it seems almost certain that MacArthur’s command will end at. tne Equator on the north, and slightly past the western, tip of New Guinea on the west. How this will affect the continued use of Australia as a great Allied base remains a question but with the Southwest Pacific command confined to these limits, its use as such would seem to have virtually ended.