14 DESTROYED : 9 DAMAGED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24231, 24 March 1942, Page 5

14 DESTROYED : 9 DAMAGED

AUSTRALIAN TROOPS IN SKIRMISHES By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 24, 12.25 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 23 Twenty-three Japanese aircraft on the New Guinea front were damaged or destroyed by Australian and United States bombers in attacks on Lae and Rabaul during the week-end. In making this announcement the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. J. Curtin, described the series of attacks as one of the most successful in the South-west Pacific area. Four Japanese bombers were destroyed and two were damaged. Ten enemy fighters were destroyed, three probably destroyed, and four damaged. Four Flying Fortresses took part in an attack on Japanese warships, scoring direct hits on two cruisers. The destruction of grounded Japanese aircraft at Lae was carried out by strafing and bombing attacks. Our planes also made a direct hit on an enemy ammunition dump. The Allied casualties in these successful operations were two aircraft lost and two men wounded. The position in the Markham Valley, into which the Japanese advanced from Lae and Salamaua, is regarded by senior Australian Army officers as being completely under control, reports the Sydney Morning Herald war correspondent at Port Moresby. He says there appears to be no attempt-by the Japanese to advance further, and their intention may be only to gain control of the airfields in the valley. There has been little action beyond patrol activity and isolated skirmishing, but one small Australian patrol made an audacious sortie right inside the enemy lines, visited Japanese-held Salamaua, gathered information of enemy dispositions and strength, and returned safely. Within the past few days, with the assistance of native labourers, the Japanese have built a bridge across the Francisco River, south of Salamaua. They pnade one sortie across this bridge, and destroyed small Australian dumps of stores before retiring. If the Japanese decide to advance across the Stanley Range, they will encounter unexpected opposition, not only from Australians, but also from some of the most savage natives in the world. The limited routes across the mountains pass through the dreaded country of the headhunting Kuku Kuku cannibals—stunted, dwarf-like savages, who for decades have conducted a reign of terror over the huge area of the jungles, gorges and miasmic swamps, and who have defied every attempt to civilise them. Men who have had years, of experience on inland patrols say that few, if any, Japanese could hope to get through the triple barrier of terrible terrain, the Australian defences, and the headhunting' tribes.