ENEMY SHELLED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 255, 26 September 1942, Page 6

ENEMY SHELLED

3.45 P.M. EDITION

IN OWEN STANLEY RANGE. HEARTENING FEATURE. (N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Rec. 1 p.m.) ... SYDNEY, Sept. 26. Australian 25-pounder field guns are shelling the Japanese jungle posts near loribaiwa. Throughout Thursday the guns kept up a harassing fire on the enemy positions. This is the first time in the Owen Stanley Range campaign that our troops have had the support of artillery fire. “The artillery support should be as heartening to them in the Owen Stanley area as the air support was at Milne Bay,” says the Sydney Daily Telegraph’s commentator. BOMBERS’ LONG JOURNEY. “This is tho world’s longest ferry service,’ said an American ferry pilot in discussing the ferrying of bombers from the United States to the South-West Pacific. It is claimed the service is equal to a triple Atlantic crossing. Tho lack of hopping stones made the job exacting. Said one pilot: “You can imagine the great navigational skill demanded to make a landing on the tiny islands which serve as intermediate refuelling stops. After you have been in the air some 18 hours it is no mean feat to pick up some microscopic island in the vast expanse of ocean. However, unpredicted weather remains onr worst enemy.” The flying times have been lowered and the hops extended as the service has developed. Much of tho flying is done at night, which many pilots prefer, since it gives better engine performance. Violent electric storms and torrential rains provide the main hazards. LISTENING TO THE ENEMY. The former Press attache to the Japanese Legation, David Tokamasu, is being given training by the Australian Broadcasting Commission as a monitor of Japanese broadcasts. His work consists of listening to broadcasts in Japanese and making a record of what is said. It is stated that only three or four persons in Australia arc competent to undertake the work. Mr Tokamasu is an American citizen and married a British woman.