NEW LANDINGS

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1944, Page 5

NEW LANDINGS

BY AMERICANS In North New Guinea (Special to N.Z. Press Assn). (Rec. 10.50) SYDNEY, May 19. The Wakde-Toem area of Dutch New Guinea, 125 miles west of Hollandia, has been seized by American invasion troops. Pursuing General MacArthur’s spectacularly successful leap-frogging’ tactics, United States task forces made new landing on Wednesday and Thursday. Already they, have occupied a large area. Three airfields, which are important strategic prizes, are still in Japanese hands. Americans are astride the main field on Wakde Island. There the enemy are endeavouring to stem their advance with mortar fire. Reports indicate Japanese resistance has generally been weak. So far thirty Japanese have been killed. American casualties have been four killed and 32 wounded. Occupation of Wakde air base will give the Allies for the first time air cover over the whole of Dutch New Guinea. General MacArthur’s communique announcing this, says the operation presages the re-conouest entirely of Dutch New Guinea. Australian and American cruisers and destroyers escorted the invasion convoy, and bombarded landing beaches. The first landing was made at dawn on Wednesday at Arara, on the .New Guinea mainland, opposite Wakde Island. The Japanese were taken completely by surprise, and there was no opnosition. The area seized was immediately extended to the Tor River, five miles to the west and to Toem village, 25 miles to the east. This beach-head is still being expanded. Stronger resistance may be encountered in the Sarmi area, just west of the Arara beach-head, where Japanese airfields and supply installations are located. i Before noon on Wednesday a second landing was made on Insoemanai Island, the smaller of the two Wakde Islands, after an aerial bombing and strafing attack. Troops who made the landing moved across a strait 25 miles wide from Arara beach-head. Then on Thursday morning, the main Wakde Island was invaded. The American landing force faced fire from enemy pillboxes and snipers, suffering casualties. Allied bombers and destroyers concentrated their bombardments again these emplacements. Before noon on Thursday Americans haq reached the edge of Wakde airfield. After overcoming beach defences, they met only light opposition until they encountered mortar fire on the airfield. Latest reports indicated progress m an attack against the aerodromes. It is apparent that Japanese along this sector of the Dutch New Guinea coast have suffered severely from continual aerial softening-up blmvs. which preceded the latest landings. Then they were taken by surprise h-r the American invasion forces. They were able to offer only negligible resistance. The Japanese' have now been flun" back a thousand miles from Milne Bay, their most easterly point of penetration in New Guinea. ~, , In the Hollandia-Aitan" sectoi Americans have killed 2120 Japanese, and captured 441. To-day s South-west Pacific headquarters communique reports the killing of a further 326 and capture of 54 more Jananese at Hollandia. ■ The rP l ea?e o f two. Swiss nationals brings the number of prisoners rescued from the enemy to 720.