NEW BRITAIN AREA

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1944, Page 5

NEW BRITAIN AREA

AMERICAN ATTACK

RED INDIANS ASSIST

SYDNEY, January 19. American troops, including . Red Indians, killed 139 Japanese in an attack on Sunday on’ enemy positions east of Arawe on the southern coast of New Britain. To-day’s • communique from General MacArthur s headquarters reports that the attack cleared an area of 1000 yards beyond the Americans’ perimeter on the peninsula. Twenty-eight machinegun nests were wiped out, and portion of a field battery was captured. Red Indians from the 158th Rushmasters’ Regiment, trained in the Panama jungle, were in tne leading assault force. They were landed secretly at Arawe to support the Americans who won the original beachhead on December 15. Allied air and sea units are harassing Japanese coastal traffic east of Arawe. Airocobras sank two small loaded boats in Marjie Bay, and patrol torpedo-boats destroyed three barges at Didi. A large force of RA.A.F. Beauforts and Kittyhawks and Snitfires started fires in bivouac and supply areas at Gasmata, New Britain, on Monday morning. Liberators attacked a 900-ton merchantman at Ambon Harbour, Amboina Island, setting it on fire. Three of eight intercepting Japanese fighters were shot down. One more was probably destroyed. Off the Admiralty Islands a 2000ton Japanese freighter was left stationary and smoking by air patrols. The heaviest Allied air raid on Monday was on Tansa Bay, New Guinea. In two strikes, Liberators and Mitchells bombed the Nubia strip and anti-aircraft positions and installations with 120 tons of bombs.

JAP. SHIPS AND PLANES LOST

(Rec. 1.5 op.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 20. Solomons-based torpedo and divebombers, with a strong escort, attacked Simpson Harbour at mid-day. Direct hits with 10001 b and 20001 b bombs were scored on cargo ships, three of which exploded and sank. Two others were burning and likely sinking, and three others seriously damaged. A hundred enemy fighters attempted interception, and 18 were shot down, with 15 probables; we lost 12 planes. At Cape Pomas one of our night air patrols scored direct hits on a 2000ton enemy freighter, which was left sinking. At Cape Gloucester an enemy counter-attack on Hill 660 was repulsed, the enemy leaving behind 126 dead. Enemy planes raided, the Empress Augusta Bay area, causing minor casualties and damage. Our ground forces have crossed the Torokina River and occupied positions near the east lagoon, MARSHALLS AND GILBERTS

(Rec. 12.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 19

Navy search planes attacked Ku - sale Island, the Japanese air base south-west of the Marshalls at daylight on Monday, bombing' shore facilities. On the same afternoon, Army bombers attacked Mili Atoll, scoring hits on storage facilities apd aerodrome installations. All our planes returned safely. Enemy bombers made a nuisance raid on Tarawa at dusk on Monday, without causing damage.

AUSTRALIAN NAVAL 'UNITS

MELBOURNE, January 19

The Australian cruisers Australia and Shropshire, and the destroyers Arunta and Warramunga-participated in the Allied naval screen for the American landing at Arawe and Cape Gloucester in New Britain, according to an announcement by the Minister of the Navy, Mr Makin. The Australian vessels were under the command of Rear-Admiral Crutchley, who flew his flag in the cruiser Australia. During the approach to the Cape Gloucester combat' area, the Australian ships swept ahead of the naval armada carrying troops, Mr Makin said, bur no contact was made with any enemy forces. At 6 a.m. on Boxing Day, the guns of the cruiser Australia gave the signal for the outbreak of the most intensive naval bombardment yet carried out in the South-west Pacific area.

The Minister for Air, Mr Drakeford, said the R.A.A.F. made - air force history by taking part in the landing at Arawe. They had gone into battle and had performed a hazardous task satisfactorily.