NEW BRITAIN FRONT

Grey River Argus, 15 January 1944, Page 5

NEW BRITAIN FRONT

CASUALTY TOTALS SYDNEY, Jan. 14. It is now officially reported that the total American casualties at Cape Gloucester since the landings are 400 killed, wounded ■ and missing, compared with 2400 counted Japanese dead and a great number wounded. News just released of a brilliant South-west Pacific sea patrol exploit tells how, four nights before United States Marines landed on Cane Gloucester, New Britain, on Boxing; Day, an Australian naval man landed on the Japanese-held beach. He is Lieutenant Eric Howitt, of Brisbane, formerly the captain of an Administration yacht operating from Rabaul and now attached to American patrol torpedo-boat units as a pilot. To prepare the way for the Cape Gloucester’ invasion, Lieut. Howitt led. a convoy of torpedo-boats to a point near the air strips, where one landing was later made. For three hours during the -night the members of the convoy took soundings and located hidden reefs. The accomplishment ot their mission was largely responsible for the bloodless nature of the initial landings. AUSTRALIAN PATROLS. GREAT WORK IN ENEMY’S REAR. " SYDNEY, Jan. 14. Brilliant patrol work by selected Australian units is proving an important factor in speeding the war in the South-west Pacific. For months one special force in the Ramu Valley, New Guinea, has been detached from the main body of the Australian forces and has operated behind the Japanese lines. Supplies have been dropped from the air. These are the men who early in the war against Japan won renown as the famous commandos of Timor. For many months they made harassing raids from a secret base in the hinterland of the island and thenactivities provoked the Japanese to offer lavish rewards for their betrayal. In recent months the unit has roamed behind the Japanese lines in New Guinea. As well as gaining invaluable reconnaissance information, its men have killed about 100 Japanese with small loss to themselves. Their scouts were the first to supply information about the dispositions in the Finisterre Ranges. These enemy positions are now under attack by the main Australian force. One of the unit’s most notable patrol exploits, has been to cross the Finisterre Ranges and reach within a dozen miles of the important Japanese coastal supply base of; Bogadiim only 20 miles below Madang. The patrol took a month to v accomplish its mission.