NEW GUINEA FIGHTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 November 1943, Page 5

NEW GUINEA FIGHTING

AUSTRALIANS CLOSING IN

STRONG AERIAL SUPPORT

SYDNEY, November 22. The Australian forces attacking Satelberg in New Guinea continue to increase their pressure on the enemy. The Japanese entrenched 'around the township are still being pounded by Alliecl tanks and artillery. The Australians are receiving telling air support. Allied fighter patrols minimised the enemy air opposition to the Australian advance by dispersing 27 raiders and shooting down one. Lowflying Mitchell .medium bombers and Thunderbolt fighters made sweeps along the northern New Guinea coast. In the Hansa Bay area the Japanese failed to put up any air interception, but anti-aircraft fire cost the Allied forces one aircraft. Seven enemy barges and a lugger were destroyed. Australian ground forces are closing in on the Japanese defences at Satelberg, 10 miles from Finschhafen, on the north-east New Guinea coast. The Australians have had to overcome heavy resistance and difficult jungle conditions. The Allied air force continues to give direct support to the ground troops. Medium bombers have dropped 44 tons of explosives on the enemy defences, causing fires and heavy damage in the target area. The Sydney “Daily Telegraph” today comments on the Pacific war in a leading article, which has particular reference to the present fighting in New Guinea. This paper says that conflicting reports have given a muddled picture of current events at Satelberg. The Japanese were “weak in numbers and of little significance’!; but. these stories, says the paper, are now being followed by reports of bitter and difficult fighting. “Light-hearted- confidence does the morale of our troops no good,” says the paper, “nor does the silly writing down of the Japanese help us in America. The Americans naturally decide that General MacArthur is doing well enough with the equipment he has, and that there is no urgent need to send more nfen and arms. Any attempt to obscure the truth about the Japanese strength in this area -does General MacArthur and his fighting men a grave disservice.”

JAP ATTACKS FAIL

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

(Rec. 12.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 23. Australian troops driving on Satelberg continue to make steady progress against stiff opposition. In all sectors the Japanese hold thoroughly prepared defensive positions in which they made full tactical use of the terrain. The Australians have had to withstand two full scale enemy counterattacks in the past 24 hours, but these sorties are reported to have been expensive for the Japanese. AERIAL OPERATIONS SYDNEY, November 22. Liberator bombers from the Southwest Pacific Command at the weekend unloaded 138 tons of bombs on the big Japanese supply clump area at Ring Ring Plantation, near Gasmata, New Britain. Apart from me Rabaul raids this was the heaviest attack to date on an enemy base in New Britain. The bomber left the entire area in smoking ruin. _ A 10,000-ton enemy cargo ship was left in flames and when last observed was being abandoned by the crew, after an attack by a United States Navy Catalina in the St . George Channel, New ’ Britain, on Friday night. The vessel was part of a convoy which also, included two destroyers and two medium-sized tankers. The convoy was attacked about 45 miles north-west of Rabaul.

General MacArthur's communique , to-day also reports another long- , range bombing attack on the Jap- - anese naval base of Sourabaya, Java.l Oil refineries and aerodromes were ' also raided, but adverse weather prevented observation of results. , When Japanese aeroplanes attempted. to raid the American, beachhead at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville Island, they were intercepted by Allied fighters, which shot down 16 enemy machines for the loss of two. Admiral Halsey’s bombers have maintained their incessant attacks on the enemy aerodromes on both Buka and Bougainville. LATEST OPERATIONS SYDNEY. November 23. Three Japanese merchantmen aggregating 7000 tons, have been sunk, an 8000-toh freighter probably sunk, and other enemy shipping damaged in widespread Allied air attacks, reported in General MacArthur’s communique to-day. The greatest portion of the destruction was caused off Manokwari, in Dutch New Guinea, where heavy and medium bombers, together with long-range fighters, participated in attacks. The 8000-ton freighter probably sunk received direct hits when it was attacked off .the New Ireland coast. Australian troops advancing towards Satelberg, in North-east New Guinea, are now within half a mile of the town. In the nearby coastal sector 50 Japanese were killed in patrol skirmishes. * TOUGH JOB "SYDNEY, Nov. 22. The Pacific jungle campaigns are described by Major-General Eugene Riebold. Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, as the toughest engineering job he has even seen. Major-General Riebold, and members of his staff, are making a tour of the South-west and South Pacific battle zones. They are at present in New Guinea, where they will visit forward areas. “I marvel at what our engineers have done,” Major-General Riebold said. “The war here is more than ever an engineers’ war. In North Africa, for example, we had fine ports, and road links right from Casablanca to Tunis. Here you get your supplies to the beach and find nothing but jungle.” Major-General Riebold held out a prospect of an’ increased flow of equipment. He said he. hoped the shipping position would improve to allow the increased American war production to be transported to the lighting fronts, NORTHERN SOLOMONS. (N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent) (Rec. noon) SYDNEY, Nov. 23. In the Northern Solomons, American patrols at Empress Augusta Bay. Bougainville, told war correspondents in the area that the Japanese were not making the same “do or die” resistance as had characterised their defence at Guadalcanal. The close air and artillery support given to the American infantry had been remarkable. Planes had laid bombs within 150 yards of our advancing troops, while the artillery had put down a barrage only 50 yards ahead of our positions. As yet there has been no evidence of Japanese overland troop movements towards Empress, Augusta Bay from Buin and Kahili, and it is improbable that the bad tracks will permit traffic in heavy reinforcements. Enemy barges however, may move along' the coast at night, although a large scale movement is seriously hampered, bv our air superiority.