CAPTURE COMPLETE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 147, 22 May 1944, Page 5

CAPTURE COMPLETE

AMERICANS HOLD WAKDE. ENEAIY’S DESPERATE FIGHT. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 21. The complete occupation of Wakde Island by the Americans is announced in a communique. The enemy was trapped in the north-east corner of the island and fought desperately, but was overcome after being mercilessly hammered by Allied land, sea, and air forces. Engineers are already reconditioning the airfield. With the Wakde air base nine strategic airfields have been captured from the Japanese since the Americans landed in the Hollandia-Aitape area (125 miles east of Wakde Island) on April 22. The airfields in addition to Wakde are Aladang, Alexishafen (two), Tadje (Aitape) and Hollandia, Sentani, Cyclops and Tami (all in the Hollandia area). The occupation of Wakde brings the Japanese naval and air base of Palau, 700 miles to the north-west, within effective striking range of Allied bombers. The important Japanese Dutch New Guinea base of Alanokwari is 350 miles away and the Schouten Islands, in Geelvink Bay, are only 250 miles away. On the Dutch New Guinea mainland light skirmishing is reported, and there nave been patrol clashes in the Tor River area.

The Americans have captured much booty, including barges, trucks, motorcycles and medical supplies. The Japanese have been making desperate attempts to evacuate irom Sarmi, west of the Allied beachhead. For several days a large party, originally estimated at 2000, has been trudging arduously over the mountains towards Sarmi from the Hollandia area. The track is lined with the bodies of the Japanese who have died from starvation, malaria or dysentery. Allied air activity over New Guinea lias been increased. Liberators destroyed two of the eight intercepting fighters when they left Alanokwari airfields unserviceable in a noon raid. One large and two small freighters in the Alanokwari harbour were destroyed. Noemfoor and Biak Islands (Geelvink Bay) have also been raided, three enemy planes being destroyed and four others damaged. In British New Guinea, the Wcwak-Hanea Bay coast is under continual aerial pounding. Australian troops driving along the coast arc now west of But. NEXT OBJECTIVE.

Alilitary exports in Washington believe that the Allies, with AVakde Island in their hands, will be ready to invade Halmalicra (Dutch East Indies), the last major land barrier to tho back door of the Fhillippines, says the United Press, quoted by the Press Association. Wakde provides an excellent air base from which to attack Halmahero A determined fight by the Japanese to retain it is expected, and military analysts believe that the operation against it will necessitate the greatest concentration of amphibious forces yet collected in the Pacific. _ “The broad strategy of the Pacific aims at isolating the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies by a drive straight across the Central Pacific to tho shores of China,” said Vice-Admiral J. Greenslade in a speech at San Francisco. “General MacArthur will continue moving westward along the fringe of tho Dutch possessions. Meanwhile Admiral Niinitz will drive straight across the Pacific and eventually, without the immediate necessity of clearing the Dutch East Indies, we may be able to support tho Chinese effort bv direct contact with the Eastern Asiatic mainland. Once ashore in China the Allies will join the Chinese in the concluding phase of the mainland operations, while onr fleeis will close in and impose an impenetrable blockade on Japan.” A Guadalcanal dispatch says that Admiral Halsey, in a message to his forces, declared that the South Pacific campaign was virtually completed except for niop-ping-up and starving-out operations. The United Press correspondent at Pearl Harbour savs that Admiral Halsey is believed to be rejoining Admiral Nimitz to direct the offensive across the Central Pacific.

Halmahcra, which is also known as Gilolo, is one ot the Moluccas and lies cast of Celebes. It has an area of 6500 6quare miles and a population of 103,000.