TARAKAN LANDING

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1945, Page 3

TARAKAN LANDING

BEACHHEAD ESTABLISHED Advance on Airfield (Received 6.30 p.m. May 3) WASHINGTON, 'May 2 General MacArthur’s communique says: Ground forces of one of Australia’s most famous divisions of veterans from New Guinea and the Middle East have landed on the key island of Tarakan. The landing was made following intense air attacks by the R.A.F. Far East Air Force and a i’our-day naval bombardment by units of the United States Seventh Fleet and the Royal Australian Navy. Our troops in amphibious tanks and fast landing craft swept ashore near Lingkas, two miles east of Tarakan airfield. A beach-head was quickly established before the enemy ' garrison could offer effective opposition, our troops advancing toward the airfield in force. There has been no enemy air or naval activity. This operation virtually severs the enemy’s holdings in the south and his forces in the eastern portion of the Netherlands East Indies, including the Celebes, the Moluccas, the Lesser Sundas and other island outposts are effectively isolated. The establishment of this base will complete our chain of airfields extending from Luzon to Darwin. This will enable, our bombers to strike at will at enemy forces anywhere in the southwest Pacific theatre and constantly to interdict lines of supply. shinping in these waters will be hunted down and destroyed as it has been already in the China bea. REINFORCEMENTS BEING LANDED. (Rec. 7.5). NEW YORK, May. 2. Japanese Army Headquarters at Borneo said that the invasion came after a three-day navtil bombardment. Allied reinforcements are at present, being landed. The invasion armada comprised three cruisers and 13 destroyers. TARAKAN TOWN BOMBARDED. (Rec. 11.15). NEW YORK, May 3. The United Press correspondent on Tarakan reports that Australian artillerymen and unmounted cavalrymen ‘landed unopposed on Sadau Island, three and a-half miles off larakan, and immediately bombarded Tarakan town with 25-pounders. Another correspondent says that Australian engineers blew up steel and concrete underwater barriers before the beaches of Tarakan / were approachable. Japanese, resistance developed late on Tuesday evening. FIERCE FIGHTING AT TARAKAN .NEW YORK, May 2 Tokio radio stated that Japanese garrison forces at Tarakan are ul present fiercely attacking the invaders. IMPORTANCE OF LANDING

SYDNEY, May 3. Blasted out of their beach defences by a preliminary naval and air bombardment, Japanese forces on Tarakan Island, north-east Borneo. • offered practically no opposition to AI F troops when they landed at dawn on Tuesday. The beachhead was swiftly secured, and the Australians are now driving inland, where the Japanese hold strong tunnelled positions on a series of razorback ridges. War correspondents who accompanied the invasion force report that a big tide and a muddy beach complicated the landing, and Japanese artillery on Tuesday night caught some of our ships left high and dry. Casualties were caused before the enemy guns were silenced. A preliminary landing was made by A.I.F. commandos on Monday morning on Sadoe Island, in Batagau Strait, a narrow strip of water between Tarakan and the Borneo mainland. They went ashore with 25Ipounders and anti-aircraft guns to cover the engineers whose dangerous task it was to clear the Tarakan landing area of under-water obstacles. These included staggered lines of rails driven into the muddy bottom a few yards off shore, and interlaced with barbed wire. Despite the Japanese mortar fire the engineers removed all of the obstacles. Liberator bombers, as well as rocket and mortar ships, contributed to the pre-invasion bombardment, and the Australians went ashore to find that the Japanese had left the actual beach area for more favourable hinterland positions. According to the Tokio radio five thousand troops took part in the landing, their equipment including tanks. The enemy radio also says that naval forces consisting of three cruisers and ten destroyers began, shelling Tarakan Island last Friday. Shortly before the landing the Australian Commander-in-Chief (Gen. Blarney) addressed the invasion troops. He told them that he was confident of the success of the operation. Observers hail the Tarakan operation as being likely to have an important ultimate effect on the entire Allied Nations’ economic strategy. They point out,the incalculable value of the move to industries starved of crude rubber, tin, and hungry for vegetable as well as petroleum oil, and for other products of which the Netherlands East Indies area is such a treasure house. Advance on Mindanao EDGE OF DAVAO CITY REACHED (Received 6.30 p.m. May 3) I WASHINGTON, May 3 I General MacArthur’s communique I says: Sweeping all resistance aside, j the Twenty-fourth Division in Mindanao advanced six miles to the banks of the Davau River and is now at Davao city’s western edge. The Thirty-first Division, pushing northward along the Mindanao central highway, is also twenty-ioui miles beyond Tabatan. , The bombing of Formosa, . indoChina, and enemy shipping .in the China Sea continued. Heavies attacked Makassar, Paripah, and Hendari aerodromes and destroyed. or I damaged six freighters, nine rivei steamers, and ten coasters. Okinawa Offensive BREAKTHROUGH DEVELOPED <Re “‘'’WASHICfON? The Seventh southwards on continued its advance . was 110 Okinawa yesterday, sectors substantial change in ° nder enem y where our tioops a gmall arms , artillery, ™ ort£ ? l :’Ains destroyed a . fire. To-dav ships g em p] aceme nts i number of e H en / oat pens. This I strongpoints, and do Seventh I morning elements rteen hundred Division moved “^ cinity of Gaja- ' yards forward t se nth and the hill. The Seventy s eve an First Marine flank, m. ovin l Attacked Kume Is- ! our aircraft a g akishi nias. Search ' land and the

aircraft sank or damaged five cargo ships, also a number of fishing and small craft, off Kyushu. Aircraft continued attacks against the Bonins, Truk, Marcus, the Palaus, Yap, and the Marshalls. The Guam correspondent of the Associated Press of America says: Attacking in darkness with tanks and flame-throwers the Tenth Army Corps opened an intensified drive in southern Okinawa early to-day. Th? veteran Seventh Division developed the first apparent break through since the enemy made its initial stand along a front so bitterly defended that it has become known as a little Siegfried Line. The Seventh’s attack was the first major night ground assault attempted by American forces in the Pacific Ocean areas theatre. PORT BLAIR AND AMANE BOMBARDED. (Rec. 12.5 k NEW YORK, May 3. Tokio radio announced that an enemy task force, including two converted carriers and two battleships, bombarded Port Blair and Amane early to-day.