Allied Offensive on New Guinea P

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 95, 23 April 1942, Page 5

Allied Offensive on New Guinea P

May Soon Take More Direct F®rm

JAPS MAY ABANDON SALAMAUA AND LAE

Received Wednesday, 11.10 p.m. SYDNEY, April 22. All the indicawons suggest tnat the Aineq onensive in tue i<ew Guinea area may soon taise a more direct iorin tnan tae continuance of tue present heavy air attacks, says the oyaney bun s correspondent at an advanced Ained base. The eany defenders of this region, he adds, once reit lnse a neglected garrison but to-day tney ieex tnat rney are standing on tne brink of a great adventure, wnat iorin tnat adventure will tane is unwise to forecast, but it is certain tnat the Allies naving wrested tne initiative irom the Japanese will mane every effort to exact tne full fruits of the initial victory. The correspondent opines that the Japanese may ffnd ootn aaiamaua ana Lae not wortn tne continued sacrihce of aircraft and materials, indeed evidence is accumulating that the Japanese are moving back on Kabaul. If the enemy could oe compelled to quit tnose oases the Allied tasn in New Guinea would oe eased aithougn the actual recapture of xtabaul would still remain formidable and perhaps costiy at the present juncture. Eight enemy oomoer3 witn fighter escort attempted their 26th raid on Port Moresby on Tuesday. They were brilliantly intercepted and four Zero type Japanese planes were destroyed. No Allied aircraft were lost.

Allied aircraft attacked tho wharves and buildings at Rabaul on Tuesday and caused several fires, states a High Command communique issued to-night. “Everything is now on the up and up,” declared Major-General Brett, commander of the Allied Air Forces in the South-West Pacific, who has completed his inspection of the air forces and equipment in Northern Australia. Major-General Brett expressed full confidence for the future. He explained that the forces up north had been handicapped by shortage of material and equipment, but “everything is now coming along beauti fully.” General Brett paid tribute to the splendid work of the Allied Air Force in the New Guinea area where they were “getting things done with a vengeance.” He added: “Australia has developed extraordinarily as an operational base for the United Nations and every day I see signs ot things getting tougher for the enemy.” The Air Minister (Mr. Drakeford) announces a large expansion of the Volunteer Air Observers’ Corps which operated most successfully. Their duty consists of plane-spotting particularly at night time. Mr. Drakeford said reports were received every 24 hours from observer posts and it would be difficult for enemy planes to penetrate undetected the curtain of vigilance which stretched over the whole coastline of Australia.