SEVERE PRESSURE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 37, 12 January 1944, Page 5

SEVERE PRESSURE

APPLIED BY ALLIES. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, Jan. 10. Both at Cape Gloucester (Western New Britain) and on tho Huon Peninsula (New Guinea) the Japanese troops arc under severe pressure from the Allied ground and air forces. Fighting on an increased scale has been reported from Cape Gloucester, where the American marines have resumed their advance in the Borgon Bav area. Up to Sunday more than 2000 Japanese dead had been counted while the full enemy casualties may be four times this number. It is officially stated that tho marines casualties, including wounded, are fewer than 15 per cent, of tho Japanese dead. The fiercest fighting is for the possession of the observation point known as Hill 66, where tho marines are reported to be gaining ground against stiff enemy opposition. The Australians on the north coast of the Huon Peninsula continue to make headway. They have overcome some Japanese resistance near the Uemaga River. Behind this river the country rises in a series of 50ft terraces to a height of about 400 ft. The Japanese rearguards have occupied defensive positions in this area barring the way to their barge base of Sio. These rearguards are apparently trying to cover the escape of the main enemy forces, but so far have met witli little success. Allied aircraft on Saturday and Sunday dropped more than 200 tons of bombs on Japanese coastal bases and supply trains in North New Guinea. At Gab, in the Snidor area whore the Americans landed recently, Allied destroyers joined in (he assault, bombarding shore positions and starting fires. Destroyers and patrol torpedo-boats in this "area sank or destroyed 11 Japanese barges, 6even of which wcro laden with troop? or supplies. It has not been revealed whether those enemy forces were being evacuated from or taken to tho Snidor area, where the Americans expanding their beachhead have not yet encountered major Japanese resistance.