JAPANESE THRUST

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20864, 17 August 1942, Page 3

JAPANESE THRUST

MOVES IN PAPUA CONVOY SCATTERED ALLIED AIR BOMBING (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (11 a.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 16. The Japanese, strongly reinforced and equipped with mortars and automatic weapons, have resumed their Papuan land thrust towards Port Moresby. They are making strong attacks on the Australian advanced positions at Kokoda, 60 miles from Port Moresby. The enemy is clearly endeavouring to recover the initiative that he lost following the successful harassing action by the Australians a week ago. One report says that the Japanese suffered more than 150 casualties in a series of swift thrusts by our troops. “The numbers that the Japanese are now using about Kokoda indicate that the Buna landing was no mere opportunist excursion,” writes a war correspondent from an operational base. The present skirmishing is likely to prove the forerunner of larger-scale actions for the possession of the passes through the Owen Stanley range. The recent fighting has been in broken country near Kokoda and the enemy has still to face the great natural obstacle barring the way to Port Moresby.. Here the ground favours the defenders. Following the enemy landing at Buna, the Allied Headquarters spokesman stated that the defence of Port Moresby from a land attack would be made along the line of the Owen Stanley range. That line is just now being reached. Five Days’ Hammering Coupled with the renewed enemy land activity in Papua has been growing evidence of increased Japanese shipping movements to the north oi Australia. For five successive days “flying fortresses” and medium bombers have hammered enemy shipping either on the move or in occupiea harbours. While the_ outcome of this air-sea duel is not'yet clear, some observers see in these shipipng movements the possibility of a new enemy aggressive move being made to relieve the strain on their Solomon Islands positions. Significance is attached to the sudden transfer of Allied bombing raids from key enemy airfields to shipping in harbours and sea lanes. However, the observers offer no opinions on the likely destination of these Japanese transports with their accompanying warships. A south-west Pacific Command communique states: “Allied hea\ bombers attacked a small escorted convoy off New Britain, but dull weather hindered observation of the results. Six Zero fighters tried to intercept. Two were shot down and three damaged. The Allied formation received slight damage and minor casualties, but all the aircraft returned to their base. “On Saturday Allied medium bombers attacked enemy troop concentrations, buildings and other installations on the south-east coast of Timor. Large fires were started. Enemy fighters which attempted to intercept our planes did not succeed.” “At Kokoda our forward elements were engaged in a series of minor clashes with the enemy. There was reconnaissance activity only in the north-west sector. A correspondent attached to General Macarthur’s headquarters says that the Japanese convoy, which was attacked during the last two days, had apparenty been scattered. There was no trace of it on Saturday.