Closing The Trap At Finschhafen

Northern Advocate, 28 September 1943, Page 3

Closing The Trap At Finschhafen

j SYDNEY, This Day. Allied forces, advancing from three sides, are rapidly closing the trap on the Japanese garrison at Finschhhafen. New Guinea. General MacArthur’s communique today reveals, for the first time, that Allied forces are moving up from Lae to complete encirclement of Finschhafcn.; Meeting little opposition, they have; reached Hanisch Harbour on Huon Gulf about 30 miles around the coast from' Finschhafcn. One Australian force which { landed six miles north of Finschhafenj and pushed inland, is now approaching! Satelberg, about 10 miles north-west ofj the enemy base. Another Australian am-! phibious force has encountered sharp re- ; sistance around Bumi River, less than a mile from the base. It is now apparent that the Japanese j have been building up defensive posi-l t.ions on the inner perimeter at Finsch-j hafen and intend to make a stubborn stand. Inland, in an area south of the enemy base at Mandang. New Guinea, our heavy and medium bombers arc causing havoc among lines of communications, installations and defences. In Bogad j'i in area, about 20 miles,south of Ma~ dang, a force of Liberators on Saturday attacked a recently constructed motor I road which lias been the enemy’s feeder, line, [or operations in Ramu Valley. | Bombers dropped 21 tons of explosives, ; wrecking bridges and causing a landslide! which, with bomb craters, lias blocked! the narrow mountain road just south of; Bogad jim. Airacobras, in company with Liberators,! strafed a truck convoy at minimum alti-1 tucle. |; Defences Blasted From Another strong formations of Fortress andji Mitchell bombers concentrated on Jap-o ane.se positions in the Upper Ramu Valley! and on IVlarawasa divide. They blasted j! deienee positions and bivouac areas with!! 4f> tons of bombs and thoroughly strafed; the targets with 84.000 rounds of ammuni-i’ tion. Many fires were started. ! ! Admiral Halsey’s heavy, torpedo andp dive-bombers, with fighter escort, struck • a heavy blow in the Kahili area at thoj southern end of Bougainville Island in; the Solomons. Direct hits were scored • • on gun positions, buildings were destroyed! and fires started. A force oi 00 Japanese!; lighters attempted to intercept and nine;! were shot down for the loss oi' two off cur fighters. Vila area, on Kolombangara Island.; was twice raided by Allied bombers;! which started tires and destroyed two) 1 barges at Ringi Cove. Fighters strafed |, and destroyed a small Japanese cargo-j, vessel at Faisi Island, south of Bougain-. vide, and two oil laden barges off ShoiseullJ Island. American forces mopping up), Arundel Island have counted 345 fnemy'j dead. h