Salamaua’s Outer Defences Collapse

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1943, Page 3

Salamaua’s Outer Defences Collapse

(Special) SYDNEY. This Day. The outer line of Japanese defences around Salamaua. important enemy base on the north-east New Guinea coast, has collapsed. Main Japanese forces, driven frm their outpost defences by determined Australian attacks, are falling back fo new positions to meet the Allied drive. Australians are attacking along the entire front and war correspondents anticipate that the final battle for Salamaua will be fought in the area of the muchbombed airfield. Komaitum and Orodubi have been captured and the whole of Mount Tambu sector has been practically cleared of the enemy. In their retreat the Japanese abandoned machine-guns and artillery. More than 350 enemy dead have been counted. The most bitterly contested point before it fell was Komiatum. on the highest grouund in the area about three miles south-west of Salamaua airfield. The only Japanese troops left around Mount Tambu are in unimportant pockets which are being liquidated by mopping-up parties. A long series of co-ordinated attacks has now driven the enemy into an ever-narrowing circle of bombed and burned-out installations and airstrips which have been targets of unceasing air attacks. Rearguards are fighiing to cover the withdrawal of the main Japanese forces. In the past six weeks Allied planes dropped nearly 2000 tons o-f bombs on the Salamaua area, which have also been under fire from Australian and American artillery manhandled through the jungle. Salamaua has been in enemy hands since March 8. 1942. It is about 25 land miles and 17 air miles from the enemy s main base of Lae on Huon Peninsula.