MacArthur Watched His Men Ashore

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1944, Page 5

MacArthur Watched His Men Ashore

SYDNEY, This Day

General MacArthur went ashore with the American assault troops to watch the final stages of the classically executed operation in the Hollandia area which won for the Allies bases 500 iles near the Philippines. Not satisfied to witness the invasion from a cruiser several miles offshore. General MacArthur disdained personal danger by going ashore at Humbolt Bay while shells from the escorting warships blasted the Japanese positions hidden in the jungle. Later, having assured himself that developments at Humbolt Bay were proceeding to plan. General MacArthur went ashore at Tanahmerah Bay, despite a signal that raiding Japanese aircraft were approaching. Enemy planes did not appear, apparently being driven off by the screen of American fighters. At these two Hollandia beachheads the South-West Pacific commander-in-chief was unprotected by even a steel helmet. He walked several miles inspecting the vast quantities of food and equipment abandoned by the Japanese. His appearance ashore electrified the troops who did not suspect that General MacArthur was within 100 miles. It was a day of complete triumph for the commander.

Food left on plates in the officers’ quarters at Hollandia proved that the Japanese were taken completely by surprise. Vast stores which they abandoned included scores of uncrated aeroplane motors, plywood belly tanks, bombs, tons of rice, and large piles of ammunition. General MacArthur told unit commanders: “This is one of the best executed operations I have ever seen. You have the enemy trapped now. Do not let him go.’’ Japs. Were Deceived

Allied war correspondents who accompanied the American forces say it was evident that pre-invasion moves had completely deceived the Japanese who expected a major assault somewhere between Madang and Wewak and had concentrated the battered remnants cf their fighting power there. Instead, with eyes focussed on the Philippines, General MacArthur leapfrogged from the Bismarck Archipelago to Dutch New Guinea. The element of secrecy was perfectly maintained. The great convoy, occupying 120 square miles of ocean, was the strongest aggregation of shipping ever to move in the South-West Pacific. Only one other Pacific convoy had exceeded it in size and power—that which carried American troops to capture the Marshall Islands. The convoy took a 950 mile route, keeping well out to sea and giving no indication of its objectives which could have been any of a dozen Japanese strongpoints in the South-West Pacific. Familiar Pattern

Then, at the arranged point, carrier and attack units of the great fleet divided to make for the three invasion beachheads. The landings followed a familiar pattern. As fighters and bombers devastated possible resistance areas and cruisers and destroyers crashed home salvo after salvo, all types of landing craft were disgorged from the mother ships and swept towards the shore. Little resistance was met at any beachhead. The Japanese remaining in the landing areas appeared to be disorganised and demoralised. Some were killed and only a handful taken prisoner. Some had committed suicide, one by hanging himself with a strand of vine. No Jap. Planes Up The invasion force included elements of Admiral Nimitz’s Pacific Fleet and South and South-west Pacific contingents, including Australian warships. The accompanying aircraft carrier force, which stood out to sea to cover the operations, comprised some of the best-known vessels of the United States Navy. Concentrations of naval and air power provided aerial cover during the initial bombardments and landings.

Softening-up Successful

Land-based bombers from United States Fifth Air Force, which for weeks had carried out raids to destroy Japanese air strength at Wewak (95 miles east of Aitape),. and Hollandia, were held in reserve. Their earlier softening-up strikes had been so effective that not a single Japanes eplane took the air to meet the invasion forces.

Troops landing at Aitape were guided to their destination by huge fires lit the previous day among enemy stores by American bombers. The fires were visible for 40 miles out to sea.

Armoured amphibians and tanks were landed with the first waves of invasion troops and are now heading the inland drives. Airfields are the main primary objectives of these drives. i

In the Hollandia area are three airstrips—Hollandia, Sentani and Cyclops. Now pock-marked with bomb craters and strewn with wreckage of enemy planes, they were once a concentration point for the chief Japanese air strength in New Guinea. Aitape has two airstrips and the Japanese were interrupted in their efforts to build a third. R.A.A.F. works unit with bulldozers, tractors and graders went ashore with the American troops at Aitape and early reconstruction and use of the now captured Tadji airstrip can be expected.

This is regarded as vital to operations at Hollandia, where 14,000 Japanese troops are expected to offer grim resistance. “Beginning of End”

Cnnior-basecl aircraft supporting Or-n oral MacArtlmr’.s invasion of northern Now Guinea shot down I.'! Japanese planes and destroyed SS on the ground. The principal damage was done at Hoilandia, says a Pacific Fleet, communique, where GT planes were destroyed on the ground and 1". shot down in combat.

West of Hollandia. at Wakde Island and Sawar, ill enemy planes were destroyed on the ground and 17 others damaged by naval aircraft. Cruisers and destroyers also bombarded Wakde and Sawar airfields.

The New York “Times” says the landings at Aitape and Hollandia mark "the beginning of the end of the New Guinea campaign, and sot tlie stage for the battle for the Philippines."

Mr. Jack Turcott, who represented the combined Allied Press aboard the cruiser from which (General Mae Arthur directed operations, reveals that following his' earlier visits to two Hollandia beachheads the commander went ashore at Aitape. He inspected the captured airfield at Tadji. where three runways are now being made ready for Allied aircraft. Mr Turcott says about 25 Japanese were killed and eight captured when the Americans went ashore at Aitape. The remainder of the enemy garrison, estimated at 1000 strong, fled inland. He discloses that the invasion forces liberated Javanese impressed labourers found in the Hollandia area. Bombing Goes On

While land operations further to the west have been proceeding. General MacArthur’s heavy bombers have blasted the Wewak-Hansa area of New Guinea with 333 tons of explosives. Between 30,000 and 40,000 enemy troops are estimated to be concentrated in this sector which is thus a possible base for counteratacks against the Allied beachheads. Today’s South-West Pacific headquarters communique says: “Before noon, our heavy aircraft dropped 176 tons of bombs on Boram, But, Dagua and Wewak aerodromes. damaging dunwavs. South of Dagua, attack planes dropped 22 tons of bombs on inland villages and lines of communi-

cation. Many buildings were destroyed and fires were started. At Hansa Bay, our heavy, medium and attack planes struck bivouac and supply areas after dawn with 135 tons of bombs, starting fires." Cn the Madang coast. Allied ground forces advancing north of Erina captured enemy equipment and supplies. Coastal Sweeps

Allied air patrols executed numerous sweeps along the North New Guinea coast, destroying buildings, supply dumps, a bridge and two motor vehicles. North-west of the new Allied beachheads Liberators, cn successive days, dropped 41 tons of bombs cn Japanese aerodromes at Nabire, Kamiri and Namber in Geelvink Bay area. In combat, 14 of 30 defending enemy fighters wore shot down, with three others probably destroyed. Several Liberators were damaged but all returned safely to base. Airfields at Geelvink Bay are on the Japanese air route to Hollandia. Rabaul, New Britain, airfields and supply areas have been hit with a further 92 tons of bombs. Miniature Pearl Harbour A message from South-east Asia command headquarters on the attack on Sabang, says that British and United States planes, flying together in complete operational understanding, left behind at Sabang a miniature Pearl Harbour, with coils of angry smoke rising 10,000 feet. A British submarine was able to rescue the United States pilot of a Hellcat shot down into the sea within point-blank range of a shore battery. Japanese tor-pedo-planes took off to attack powerful British and Allied fleet units lying off in support of carriers, which approached within 20 miles of the targets. Two enemy planes were shot down almost 50 miles off the coast and it is almost certain that the Japanese have no idea of the size cr composition of the force that attacked.