JAPANESE CLEAR OUT OF RANGES

Grey River Argus, 8 October 1942, Page 5

JAPANESE CLEAR OUT OF RANGES

(Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Received October 7, 8.45 p.m.) SYDNEY. October 7. The Japanese force are believed to have evacuated the Owen Stanley Ranges. The Australian forces have been moving forward from Kagi towards the highest point of the Heil’s Gap Pass) ‘They have not encountered any of the enemy. The original cautious theory that the Japanese would make a stand on the highest ground of the Owen Stanley Ranges is being replaced by the view that the enemy, having proved the impracticability of a back-door land offensive against Port Moresby, is now following his Milne Bay precedent, and is withdrawing forces which have proved unequal to their task. The Australian Broadcasting Commission's War correspondent, Mr Hayden Leonard, to-day, goes so far ad to suggest that "the Japanese, having bitten off more than they can chew in the Owen Stanley area, may now be preparing to abandon New Guinea.” Kagi and Myola TAKEN BY AUSTRALIANS. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, October 6. The Australian land forces in New Guinea are still making steady progress through the Owen Stanley Mountains. They have now passed Kagi. and Mvola. • A correspondent says: "Though the advancing Australians are still on the Port Moresby side of the mountains, thev have now almost recahed the highest ridge. SYDNEY. October 7. Australian soldiers who have been, fighting behind the Japanese lines in New Guinea since March have been invalided home-. The men were members of units cut off when the Japanese took Lae and Salamaua. They immediately organised themselves into guerrilla bands and conducted continual hide-and-seek warfare against the- enemy. Frequently they crept down from the hills and attacked Japanese . aerodromes and encampments, blowing up runways and installations. They set booby traps, laid land mines, and burned stores and equipment. So thoroughly did they learn the art of jungle warfare that three of them were able to hold off 100 Japanese. Armed only with tommy-guns, the Australians k’lled a dozen, tnen escaped. One night in June a n?j~tv went into Salamaua and killed 90 Japanese with Bren and tommy-guns, anti-tank bombs, -and high explosives. The surprised troops rushed screaming to the beach. , It had been an all-in war, day ano night, said one of the men. The Australian casualties had been surpr’singly small, and few of our troops had fallen into Japanese hands The comrades of the invalided men were still carrying on the fight. _ Japs Leaving New Guinea BY TRANSPORT FROM BUNA [Rec. 10.50) SYDNEY, Oct. 7. ‘ Several factors support an impression that a single Japanese transport, which left Buna, on the north New Guinea coast, early on Monday may have evacuated enemy troops who have survived the Owen Stanley jungle campaign. Firstly, for eight days, since the capture of the loribaiwa Ridge, the advancing Australians have encountered no organised resistance. Secondly, in the 35 milesfrom the loribaiwa Ridge to the Hell s Gap Pass no enemy prepared positions "Vhifdly" f °AUied fighter planes when strafing the trail from Kokoda to Buna, have detected no heavy movement of enemy troops or su P - P 1 Fourthly. for some weeks the Japanese have made no attempt to fill in a bomb crater on the now useless Buna airfield. . . ~ b _ c Fifthly, the Wairopi Bridge has not been attacked by Allied aircraft during the past two days, thus lead •ng to the conclusion that the Jap anese have made no attempt to re pair the damage done to it in C ‘ l Sixthly tt a C small enemy CO^ V °Y Hl Buna, apparently f ? r , p " a «g htwas strongly protected by Zero fight ers, these suggesting that troops may ■ have been carried. EARLY CROSSING OF RANGES. AUSSIE. ADVANCE TO NORTHCOAST EXPECTED. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 10.50.) SYDNEY, October 7. “Buna by Christmas.’,' which at iiret was the wishful catchcry among tne Australian troops in New Guinea, nas now become invested with the possi bility of even earlier fulfilment, as Australian advanced patrols move on through the deserted villages in tne territory. _____

MAY BE RETREATING FROM NEW GUINEA AUSTRALIAN ADVANCE CONTINUED UNOPPOSED Enemy? Aircraft Losses in Solomons Several Warships Torpedoed and Bombed

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