60,000 JAPS

Grey River Argus, 1 May 1944, Page 5

60,000 JAPS

BASED ON WEWAK Under Allied Bomber Attacks

(Special to N.Z. Fress Assn.) (Rec. 7.30.) SYDNEY, April 30 Bombers of the South-west Pacific Command have begun to pound the isolated Japanese garrison at Wewak, north-east of New Guinea. Wewan is the headquarters of . enemy forces estimated to number sixty thousand. They were trapped between Australian forces at Alexishafen (190 miles to the south-east) and American forces at Aitape (90 miles to the north-west). Liberators on inursdav pattern-bombed Wewak’s four aerodromes, dropping 188 tons or 2,000-pounders, and hitting all runways. General MacArthur’s Heacr quarters said this attack had forestalled any attempt bv the enemy to land ’planes at Wewak. On Friday Liberators and Bostons struck again at Wewak, starting fires in supply areas with 43 tons of bombs. Along the Hansa-Madang .coastal strip, air and naval patrols bombard-) ed enemy positions, while west of Hollandia, Wedke Island was hit with 79 tons of bombs. At least four parked ’planes were destroyed. Liberators and Catalinas raided enemy aerodromes and supply areas at Jeffman and Babo, also in Dutch New Guinea. .. These attacks reveal the pattern ot future operations against remnants of the Japanese Eighteenth Army isolated in New Guinea. The Japanese will be deprived of aiv cover and left without usable airfields while they are harried by constant attritional air strikes. Meanwhile, Allied garrisons at Hollandia and Aitape will be waiting in overwhelming strength to meet desperate enemy bids to escape, as predicted by General MacArthur. ' The Japanese do not appear to have increased materially their air strength at their best striking base, Geelvink Bay, about four hundred miles west of Hollandia. Allied bombers attacking this area on Friday damaged a thousand-ton frieghter. The sole enemy offensive air activity reported bv General MacArthur’s week-end communiques were a night, attack by three ’planes against Allied shipping at Aitape. Moderate damage, with light casualties, was caused to one ship. Rabaul (New Britain) and Kayieng (New Ireland) has been hit with a further hundred tons of bombs, while heavy raids on the Carolines by So-mons-based bombers are reported. Truk was attacked with 22 tons of bombs, fires being started on Eten and in Dublow seaplane base. One Japanese night fighter was shot down and one Allied bomber was lost. In a mid-day strike at Woleai, Liberators blasted aerodromes with 67 tons of bombs.

AMERICAN LAND FORCES.

ACTIVITY IN DUTCH NEW

GUINEA. ■

(Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 11.10) SYDNEY, April 30. A small party of Japanese Marines were wiped out when American forces on Thursday landed at Soedaja, on the northern end of Humbolt Bay, near Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea. Made for the purpose of mopping-up operations, the landing resulted in the first contact with the enemy combat troops reported in the Hollandia area. Away to the south-east, American invasion troops at Aitape have taken more than fifteen miles of coastline since their original landing. British, Australian, and Dutch military observers, including a Colonel of Lord Mountbatten’s staff,, were present at the Hollandia —Aitape landings. The American invasion forces who participated in these New Guinea assaults have been identified as the Twenty-fourth Division at Talnffiimerah Bay, the Forty-first Division at Hollandia,' and elements of the Thirtysecond Division at Aitape. Perimeter defences have been established by troops holding the- three Hollandia aerodromes, while intervening areas are being patrolled. The only Japanese counter-action reported is sniper fire north and west of the airfields. At Aitape, ground activity is limited to p'atrolling. The total of Japanese killed in this area is .about 120.