FALL OF MUBO

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21149, 17 July 1943, Page 3

FALL OF MUBO

ALLIED SUCCESS 950 ENEMY DEAD LONG CAMPAIGN ENDS PUSHING ON KOMIATIUM •By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 17. The Allied forces have captured Mubo, the important outpost enemy’s defence system of Salamaua. Our troops are now pressing on to Komiatum, on the main trail from Mubo to Salamaua. The entire Mubo area has now been cleared of the enemy who lost 950 killed. The Allied losses are described as light.

The official announcement of the fall of Mubo was made yesterday in General MacArthur’s communique which said: “The Mubo bastion has been captured. The American forces, after landing and consolidating the beach-head at Nassau Bay on June 30, moved inland up the valley of the Bitoi River, effecting a junction with the Australian units in Buigap Creek at dusk on July 10. This move.

effected in complete secrecy, operated to cut the enemy’s line of communication between Mubo and Salamaua and isolate his garrison on Observation and Green’s Hills.

Following this enveloping move, and in co-ordination with attacks on elements in the rear areas, the Australian forces attacked from Lababia Ridge and Garrison Hill and destroyed the enemy defences on Observation Hill, The Pimple and Green’s Hill. Our ground forces have now cleared the Mubo area of all organised enemy resistance and are pressing on to Komiatum. Approximately 950 enemy troops were destroyed. Our losses were light.” i Many Killed in Air Raids

It is considered probable that a large number of Japanese defenders of Mubo were killed in the record aerial bombardment on July 7, when more than 50 Allied bombers dropped 106 tons of high explosive bombs on enemy ground positions in a terrific half-hour onslaught.

The news of the fall of Mubo was preceded last night by a special announcement from General MacArthur’s Headquarters that Allied troops were closing in against the enemy’s defences. While no details of the final action have yet been reported, the successful outcome is the climax to long and arduous campaigning in extremely difficult country. For some months the Australian troops have been fighting from positions around Mubo where an apparent stalemate situation had persisted. The official announcement of the clearing out of this enemy nest was accompanied yesterday by a report of an attack by nine Japanese divebombers on Nassau Bay and a further attack by six bombers on Woody Island. Both raids were ineffective. The Allied troops pressing on towards Komiatum have been supported by Boston attack planes which have bombed and strafed enemy installations around Borodubi.