MUBO TAKEN

Grey River Argus, 17 July 1943, Page 5

MUBO TAKEN

ALLIES ADVANCE UPON SALAMAUA i 950 Enemy Killed I ■ (Aust. & N.Z. Cable Asm.] SYDNEY, July 16. General MacArthur’s Headquarters indicates that the operations, directed at the capture of Salamaua, the important enemy supply base in New Guinea mandated territory, are now reaching the crucial stage. Australian and American troops are i preparing for an all-out attack . against the Japanese defences at ! Mubo. Mubo is eleven miles inland 1 and is the main outpost defence of Salamaua. In this area, Allied I forces have encircled the Japanese ' positions in the pimply and woody i island, which is a mud flat on the I dry bed of Buigap Creek. By swift outflanking moves, our troops but off the Mubo garrison from their I lines of retreat. Greenshill, another important Japanese post, just | north-east of Mubo lias already falI len to our advancing forces. I Only seven and a-half miles from J Salamaua the isthmus village of Salus has been taken by Americans I moving up the coast after their land- \ ing at Nassau Bay. Australians who penetrated the jungle from the Mubo area to reach Nassau Bay have guided other American forces inland. They dragged artillery along jungle trails from the beachhead and last Sunday linked up with Australian infantry near Mubo. This move cut the enemy’s Buigap Creek supply line. Simultaneously, our patrols have been haressing the enemy’s alternative supply trial, through Komiatum, which has threatened by the Australian 'capture of Observation Hill. While these moves against his supply line have been progressing, the enemy’s : forces in the Mubo area have been steadily compressed into two main ' strongpoints on high ground. These I positions have been punished by some of the heaviest air attacks of ,the New Guinea war. This incessant ' aerial ipounding has been directed .towards softening up Japanese re(sistance to the final Allied ground I assault which has now begun.

Attacks are being launched simul--1 t.aneously from north, east and south. ! General MacArthur’s communique, , yesterday, made no reference to ground activity, either in New Guinea or New Georgia. Correspondents report that the delay of news of Allied progress in New Guinea was due to the fact that our forces are occupied not in large-scale attacks, but in clearing out enemy strongpoints, and establishing . our own outposts in dominating positions. These objectives are now achieved. Artillery 'is in position ready, to support infantry forces in the final advance. (Rec. 10.15) SYDNEY, July. 16. Allied forces have captured Mubo, an important outpost in the enemy’s Salamaua defence Allied troops now pressing onto Komiatum on the main trail from Mubo to Salamaua. The entire Mubo area has now been cleared of enemy forces. The Japanese lost 950 killed. Allied losses are described as light. The official announcement of the fall of Mubo was made to-day in General MacArthur's communique, which said: “Mubo bastion has been captured. American forces, after landing and consolidating their beachhead in Nassau Bay on June 30, moved inland up the valley of the Bitoi River, effecting a junction with Australian units in Buigap Creek at dusk on July 10. This move was effected the complete secrecy. It operated to cut the enemy’s line of communication between Mubo and Salamaua, and to isolate his garrison on Observation Hill and Green’s Hill. Following this enveloping move, and in co-ordination with attacks on elements in re'ar areas, Australian forces attacked from Lababia Ridge and Garrison Hill, and destroyed enemy defences on Observation Hill, lhe Pirnnle and Green’s Hill. “Our ground forces have now cleared the Mubo area of all organised enemy resistance, a'nd are pressing on to Komiatum. Approximately 950 enemy troops were destroyed. Our losses were light.” It is considered probable that a large number of Japanese defenders, in Mubo were killed in the record aerial bombardment on July 7 when more than fifty Allied bombers dropped 106 tons of high explosives on enemy ground in a terrific halthour onslaught. The news of the fall of Mubo was preceded, la'st night, by the special announcement from General MacArthur’s Headquarters that Allied troops were closing in against the 'enemy’s defences. No details of the final action have yet been reported. The • successful outcome is a climax to long and arduous campaigning in extremely difficult lor some months Australian troops have been fighting from positions around Mubo. where an apparent stalemate situation had persisted. The official announcement ot me clearing out of this enemy nest was accompanied to-day by a report of an attack by nine Japanese dive-bombers on Nassau Bay, and the further attack by six bombers on Woody Island. Both raids were ineffective. Allied troops pressing on towards Komiatum have been supported by Boston attack planes. Which bombed and strafed enemy installations around Orodubi.