HEAVY SLAUGHTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 10 January 1944, Page 5

HEAVY SLAUGHTER

U.S. GAINS IN NEW BRITAIN enemy may have been DRUGGED Sydney, Jan. 9. The fanatical fury of Japanese charges against American marine positions near Borgen Bay and Cape Gloucester, in western New Britain, has prompted the belief among some observers that the enemy troops were drugged. The Japanese hurled themselves into a storm of machinegun fire and were slaughtered. Eight miles south of Cape Gloucester airstrips, 200 Japanese attacked a greatly superior marine force. The American commander told war correspondents that from their strongpoints the marines could have held off a force of 2000 Japanese. But for three hours the enemy attacked till almost annihilated. Some of the Japanese were naked wearing only a steel helmet and boots. General MacArthur’s latest communique reports fresh gains by the marines, who arc now advancing on Borgen Bay, 10 miles east of their landing point where the Japanese are being forced back into the sea. An additional 200 enemy killed had been counted after the latest fighting. PROGRESS IN NEW GUINEA Australian and American troops are making steady progress in their converging drives into the Japanese-held northern strip of the Huon Peninsula. Each force is averaging about four miles a day through the jungle, and they have narrowed the gap between them to 65 miles. The Australian forward elements are to-day reported to be nearing Scharnhorst Point at the northern tip of Huon Peninsula about eight miles from Sio. RETREAT BECOMING ROUT There has been no recent Japanese opposition to the Australian drive. It is evident that the enemy retreat is becoming a rout. “As all land avenues of escape are closed the only possible exit for the trapped Japanese is by barges, which must run the blockade of Allied patrol craft,” writes the “Christian Science Monitor’s” war correspondent, Gordon Walker. "However, reports that an evacuation from Sio has begun show that the Japanese prefer patrol craft to Australian tanks and bayonets. Even an attempted evacuation from Sio may be barred in a few days by the Australians forcing their way through the jungle.” General MacArthur’s week-end communiques report heavy destruction of Japanese barges in the Sio area. The biggest bag was made on Wednesday and Thursday, when Kittyhawks destroyed or made unserviceable 13 barges. The United States forces have taken only 377 Japanese prisoners, said the Under-Secretary of War, Mr R. P. Patterson. He explained that he published the figure to illustrate the difficulty of defeating Japan and added: “We know the Japanese will defend themselves with fanatical zeal. This is attested by the small number of prisoners taken.” —P.A. Special Australian Correspondent. _