AUSTRALIAN ADVANCE

Grey River Argus, 16 May 1945, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN ADVANCE

IN NEW GUINEA AND TARAKAN. (Rec. 9.45.) WASHINGTON, May 14. General MacArthur reports: Australian and Netherlands East Indies troops on Tarakan Island report local gains in desultory fighting. Small enemy counter-attacks have been repulsed in the centre and the east of the island. ’Planes of all categories struck enemy air bases and supply facilities in Northern Borneo. Coastal patrols sank four freighters, four coastal vessels, nine barges and other small craft. In New Guinea, Australian troops, with air support, have penetrated three miles inland from Wewak, and are now attacking enemy positions near the village of Sauri. Our medium bombers and fighters. attacked defences and communications in New Ireland and in Bougainville. CHINESE IN FOOCHOW MOVE TO OPEN COAST AND HARBOUR? CHUNGKING, May 13. The United Press says that Chinese who entered Foochow may, be driving to open a major China coast harbour through which to get seaborne supplies. Other Chinese forces 265 miles north-east of Foochow captured Sinchang, forty miles from the coast. Japanese trapped in a pocket on the Chungking front unsuccessfully made attempts to break out. CHUNGKING, May 14. Fighting is progressing in Foochow streets. The main Japanese column on the Chinkiang front was roled back to within 18 mies of Paoching, from where the major Japanese drive was launched. An enemy unit about 50 miles westward has been chopped into five pockets, while other units northwards of Shanmeng were mostly destroyed. Heavy fighting continued in Southern Hunan Province. NEW YORK, May 14. The Chinese assault on Foochow is regarded in Washington as a direct effort to clear the way for an American landing on the China coast, says the New York “Sun’s” Washington correspondent. Foochow, which has been in Japanese hands since October, is only 525 air miles from Okinawa, from where it is expected the air cover for the landings will be based. The Commanding General of the Chinese Combat Command, MajorGeneral Robert McClure, estimated the Japanese suffered 11,000 casualties in Central China in recent battles. He revealed that American equipment was rushed to the Hunan front in anticipation of the Chihkiang battle, but the Japanese front collapsed before the American weapons could be distributed on a large scale. General Wedemeyer announced that Fourteenth Air Force increased its flights by 15 per cent, in April against almost non-existent opposition. Only seven Japanese planes were shot down in combat and fifty,-three were destroyed NORWAY TO HELP IN PACIFIC WAR LONDON, May 14. Crown Prince Olaf, addressing a Press conference at Oslo declared that the Norwegian merchant fleet will help the Allies in the Pacific war. Nothing has been decided so far about Norway sending troops to fight J’apan. “My first superficial impression from driving through the streets of Oslo is that my people are better fed and clothed than I dared hope,” he said. The death sentence would be demanded for traitors who had allied themselves with Quisling when they appear before the Norwegian Supreme Court.