ALLIED PINCERS

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1944, Page 5

ALLIED PINCERS

IN NEW GUINEA \ — \ Enemy Hard to Find (Special to N.Z. Press Assp). (Rec. 10.15) .SYDNEY, Ma v 3. The Japanese forces at either end of the Allied pincers movement on the north coast of New Guinea are proving difficult to locate. Neither the Americans at Aitape and Hollandia, nor the Australians at Alexishafen have encountered anything larger than isolated parties of the enemy troops. , , The Australians . have now passed through Rempi village, five miles north of Alexishafen, on the road to Wewak, without meeting any opposition. 0 Americans from Aitape have reached Kainti, eight miles inland. One -American patrol was ambushed by two hundred Japanese. It was relieved with only small losses, after having killed fifty-nine of the enemy, whose remnants were last reported as fleeing northwards. Destruction of a number of enemy barges in the Wewak area was reported in General MacArthur’s communique to-day. This indicates desperate enemy attempts to escape from a tightening Allied het. Allied naval units destroyed eleven troop and supply laden barges, while six others were accounted for by Allied planes. Most of these barges were headed northwest.

Allied planes have strafed villages to the south of Aitape along a route on which scattered Japanese troops are trying to escape. On the Hansa —Madang coast Allied planes wrecked thirty motor vehicles as well as destroying buildings and bridges. Tons of stores of the highest value to the enemy were blown up. In the Hollandia area the main task is Its rapid conversion into a great Allied base for use as a springboard in later operations. This work is being pushed ahead with all speed. Off Biak Island, Geelvink Bay. Dutch New Guinea, Liberators scored a direct hit on a 2,500-ton enemy ship. On a previous day Liberators in the same area shot down six of eighteen intercepting fighters, with two others probably destroyed. Two Liberators were damaged. Another 100 tons of bombs were dropped on airfields, at Rabaul (New Britain), while other Solomons-based bombers attacked Wolesi, in the Carolines, with fifty tons of bombs.

APRIL LOSSES (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) SYDNEY, May 3. Japanese aircraft destroyed in the South-west Pacific during April'totalled 296. There was 178 destroyed in the air and 118 on the ground. Another 35 were probably destroyed —32 in the .air, and three on the ground. Only seven of the planes destroyed were bombers. The Allied air losses for April were 39 planes. Japanese losses in the area for April were: Destroyed: 13 merchantmen, 128 barges, 25 small ‘craft. Damaged: One destroyer, 17 merchantmen!, 72 barges, 27 small craft.