KOKODA CLASH

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24369, 3 September 1942, Page 3

KOKODA CLASH

BATTLE IN RANGES JAPANESE THRUSTS ACTION DEVELOPING PORT MORESBY GOAL (Special Australian Correspondent) SYDNEY, Sept. 2 Increased enemy activity in the Kokoda sector in Papua may mean that the Japanese, having failed at Milne Bay, intend to try forcing their way to Port Moresby across the difficult Owen Stanley mountains. Such efforts would probably be supported by a simultaneous move on Port Moresby from another direction. Persistent infiltration in the direction of the mountains is occurring, and the enemy is now in the high country beyond Kokoda. Fighting on an increased scale is reported about 2000 ft. above sea level. To-day's communique Irom General Mac-Arthur's Head-

quarters says: "Our ground forces are closely engaged in jungle fighting against enemy thrusts of increasing [ strength." Bayonet Fighting War correspondents report that bayonet clashes occurred between opposing patrols. Although the tempo of the action i,s rising, the fighting up to the present cannot be described as heavy. The enemy has barely begun to tackle the hardest portion of his task in this sector. In the meantime, Japanese moves are handicapped by adverse weather and flooding of rivers at vital points. The main enemy thrusts i during the past few days are said to have been directed against some steep slopes leading to a pass through the Owen Stanley Range. Allied fighter aircraft have closely supported our ground defences. On Tuesday, two strong attacks were made ! against advanced enemy positions and I on their lines of communication along I which supplies are being moved from Buna to Kokoda. Airacobras Attack It is understood the attacks were I made by Airacobras, which stormed; j along the valleys in the foothills of the j ranges. Japanese aircraft have not yet j attempted to support their troops in I ! this set-tor. ; Hayden Lennard. of the Australian j ! Broadcasting Commission, says the j main fighting i.s going on in the centre iof the Allied defence lines along the j Owen Stanley Range. Jungle fighting; i is taking place at the entrance to the j Kokoda gap, and the Japanese have j j put out their best jungle lighters in | this action. The Kokoda gap is the key ! | to the whole Japanese attempt to push j on from Buna over the Owen Stanley | Range to Port Moresby. The mountains i 1 ri*e to 12,000 ft.. but they tall to about j 7000 ft. at the entrance to the gap. TAKE AUSTRALIA PART OF JAPANESE PLAN tF.erd. 9.50 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 1 The Japanese are very serious in j their intention and effort to take Aus- i tralia. says Otto Tolischus, an Ameri- i can correspondent recently repatriated i from Tokio. He added that the j Japanese always included Australia in i their greater co-prosperity programme, j Japanese militarists felt they must ; conquer Australia and Siberia in order; to eliminate such bases for attack. It: seemed that the frequent bombings of Port Darwin indicated that Port Darwin and th 3 north of Australia was the Japanese first objective as a base. Asked what likely plan the Japan- j ese had in mind if they succeeded in j occupying Australia, Tolischus said: •'Undoubtedly the Japanese one single! purpose in all captured countries was j to utilise existing institutions under i Japanese top control, and for the Jap-j an est: to profit ultimately by trans- j • forming them into completely Japan-1 ese institutions." Tolischus pointed out, j . however, that the American occupation j of the Solomons changed the whole outlook of the Japanese programme regarding Australia. RELIEF FOR INDIA JAPANESE DEEPLY INVOLVED 1 LONDON, Sept. 2 j The commander of the United States! forces in India. China and Burma. General Srilwell. said in New Delhi yesterday that the position in India had ! undoubtedly been improved bv the sue- j cesslul Allied offensive in the Solomons. ' The Japanese were so deeply involved i in the Pacific that it had become more j and more difficult for them to spare ; troops for operations against India. j