NEW GUINEA OPERATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 September 1943, Page 5

NEW GUINEA OPERATIONS

JAPANESE ENCIRCLED DEFENCE OF FINSCHHAFEN SYDNEY, September 27. Allied forces advancing from three sides are rapidly closing the trap on the Japanese garrison at Finschhafen, in New Guinea. General MacArthur’s communique,to-day reveals that Allied forces are moving up from Lae to complete the encirclement of Finschhafen. Meeting little opposition, they have reached Hanisch Harbour, on the Huon Guit, hbout 30 miles round the coast from Finschhafen. One Australian force, which landed six miles north ot Finschhafen and pushed inland is now approaching Satelberg, about 10 miles north-west of the enemy base. Another Australian amphibious tores has encountered sharp resistance round the Bumi River, less than a mile from Finschhafen. It is now apparent that the Japanese have been building up defensive positions on an inner perimeter at Finschhafen, and intend to make a stubborn stand. Inland, in the area south of the enemy base at Malang, our hteavy and medium bombers ore causing havoc among Japanese lines of communication, installations, and defences. In the Bogadjim area, about 20 miles south of Madang, a force of Liberators on Saturday ataeked the recently constructed motor road, which has been the enemy's feeder line for operations in the' Ramu Valley. The bombers dropped 21 tons of exploives, wrecking bridges and causing a landslide which with the bomb craters, blocked the narrow mountain rod just south of Bogadjim. Airacobras which accompanied the Liberators strafed a truck convoy at minimum altitude. Other strong formations of Fortress and Mitchell bombers concentrated on Japanese positions in the upper Ramu Valley, and on the Marawasa divide. They blasted 'defence positions and bivouac areas with 46 tons of bombs, and thoroughly strafed the targets with 84,000 rounds of ammunition. Many' fires were started.

In the final drive on Finschhafen the Australians are engaged in the heaviest fighting since the Buna campaign. Japanese resistance is aimed at making the loss of Finchh.afen as costly' as possible to the Allies. Shock troops broke through the core of the enemy defences at the Bumi River, three-quarters of a mile north of Finschhafen, and the bridgeheads were held and enlarged to cover the crossing by the main forces. Under the full weight of the Australian attack the Japanese steadily iell • back towards the township. Strong opposition is expected further on towards Langemak Bay, near the Finschhafen anchorage, where the defenders have been feverishly working on crossfire machine-gun trenches: and snipers' posts. The enemy opposition at the Bumi River provided •Jie first warning that the capture of the base would be difficult. In the Lae campaign the failure of the Jap-;-nse to make a stand at the outer defences on the Busu River foretold the collapse of the inner defences. GENERAL BLAMEY'S REVIEW. (Rec. 12.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, September 28. “The initiative has been taken from the Japanese and we are now calling the tune,” said General Blarney on. his arrival at an airport near Melbourne. “The campaign in New Guinea has gene very well and our losses have been very light. There has been a definite lowering of the morale of the Japanese since (he lighting at Buna and Gona. Il is obvious that the enemy has changed his opinion about his own invincibility. He has discovered l.nac things are a little more difficult than he expected. The change has been brought about by our superio v equipment, superior troops, superior :.iir force, and by our initiative. Our troops are of outstanding quality. They have a high standard of morale and training. You just cannot hold them. This is one of the outstanding features of the whole New Guinea campaign. The cooperation by the American Navy and Air Force with the Australian ground forces, has been extraordinarily good, li is a happy' association altogether. Fighting in the Finschhafen area is a development of our successes ai Salamaua and Lae. The fall of Finschhafen is only' a matter of time.” General Blarney' said at present he thought Wewak was the strongest of the other Japanese bases in’ NewGuinea. Very considerable Japanese reinforcements had just arriv-... cd at Wewak when the Allies struck recently' and destroyed the bulk of them. SOLOMONS AREA "SYDNEY, Sept. 27. Admiral Halsey’s heavy torpedo and dive-bombers, with fighter escort have struck again at the Kahili area, at the southern end of Bougainville Island, in the Solomons. Direct hits were scored on gun positions, buildings were destroyed and fires started. A force of 60 Japanese fighters attempted to intercept, and nine were shot down for the loss of two of our fighters. The Vila area, on Kolombangara Island, was twice raided by' Aillied bombers, which started fires and destroyed two barges at Hingi Cove. Fighters strafed and destroyed a small Japanese cargo vessel at Faisi Island, south of Bougainville, and two oil-laden barges off Choiseul Island. The American forces mopping up_ on Arundel Island have counted 345' enem.v dead.

TO N.Z. AIRMEN. WELLINGTON, Sept. 28. The Governor-General announced that the King' has been graciously pleased 1o approve the following awards to R.N.Z.A.F. personnel in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy in the Solomon Islands. They are:— D.F.C.: Flight Lieutenant Errol Howard Brown. Flying Officer Geoffrey Bryson Fisken. D.F.M.: Sergeant Pilot Roland Charles Cecil Nairn.