PAPUAN PURSUIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24423, 5 November 1942, Page 3

PAPUAN PURSUIT

RETREATING JAPANESE NO SERIOUS FIGHTING CONTINUED ADVANCE (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 8.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 4 The Allied troops who have crossed the Owen Stanley Range are now approaching Oivi and are continuing their pursuit of the retreating Japanese. Oivi is nine miles north of Kokoda at the junction of the east and west trails branching from Alola. No serious lighting has been reported since last week's bayonet, charges which cleared the Japanese lrom Alola. About 1.1 miles further north from Oivi is the Wairopi bridge crossing the Kumusi River. Here, in favourable terrain, and with the advantages of a motor supply road from Buna, the Japanese are likely to make a stand. To-day's communique from General Mac Arthur's Headquarters says one of the transports bombed in the enemy's attempted landing of reinforcements at Buna is still burning off the south coast of New Britain in the same position as when it was attacked. The late of the troops on board is not known. Further Attack on Ships A night attack by Allied medium bombers on enemy shipping in the ButnFaisi area in the northern Solomons is also reported in to-day's communique. The attack is not spoken of as heavy and this may indicate a reduction in the number of Japanese warships in the area. Prior to earlier damaging attacks by Flying Fortresses based in Australia, 35 enemy warships were reported near Buin.

Tlie Allied air forces also returned to the attack against Dilli, Portuguese Timor. Fires were still burning from the previous day's heavy raids and fresh ones were started. The Japanese attempted to intercept the second wave of the Allied attack with at least five Zeros, one of which was destroyed, a second probably destroyed, and a third damaged. All our planes returned. All Lost Ground Retaken In a despatch from "somewhere in Australia," Sir Thomas Blarney, Com-mander-in-Chief of the Allied land forces in the South-west Pacific, said: "In five weeks* of strenuous effort, in which tiie enemy has been driven from his strongly prepared positions on many occasions, and in which he has been pursued relentlessly, the Japanese have now been driven out of the Owen Stanley Range. "Our troops have recaptured every foot of ground lost and are now beyond Kokoda. This lias been accomplished by the resolution of commanders and the determination of the Australian infantry, who have fought day by day in most difficult country, over high ridges, deep gorges and in tropical heat and rain. The troops are full of vigour and eager to close with the Japanese, who no longer show readiness to meet them in battle." Japan's New Guinea campaign has been expensive, particularly in aircraft, of which about 200 have been destroyed, while the enemy's handpicked force of jungle fighters has also been seriously depleted. Capture of Kokoda It is now revealed that the strong Allied forces which occupied Kokoda on .Monday were not the first to enter this base since it was occupied by the Japanese on August 3. A number of our patrols have been active in the area during the past fortnight. On the night of October 25 a party of three Australians moved down from the northern foothills of the Owen Stanley Range and entered an enemy camp beside Kokoda airfield. They brought back valuable information. Veteran Australian troops who have fought in many theatres finallv occupied the area without. a shot being fired. This caused no surprise, since Kokoda is situated in flat, cultivated country and is reckoned a difficult place to hold. Some commentators suggest that the enemy is likely to make a stand near Wairopi, 20 miles from Kokoda along the Buna track, where there is thick jungle cover. Kokoda village, formerly a picturesque Government station, was found to have been completely burned out by the Allied air strafing and bombing attacks. KOKODA A KEY SITE IMPORTANCE OF CAPTURE (Reed. 10.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 3 "The Australians' recapture of Kokoda is the best news from New Guinea since the island became involved in the war," comments the New York Times. "Although Kokoda is only a hamlet in the foothills, it, is a key site. This tune the Australians are not stopping at Kokoda. They are pushing on to Oivi, apparently bound for Puna. The Japanese evidently anticipated the advance and tried to reinforce Buna, but Allied bombers effectively smashed the attempt. "The present enemy situation is uncomfortable. Many of his troops and practically all his planes have been withdrawn from New Guinea for successive assaults against Guadaleanar. For the time being both campaigns have failed. However, Zeros are again flying over New Guinea and fresh landing attempts started. If General MacArthur's forces are strong enough they have a chance to drive the Japanese from the whole eastern shore of New Guinea. That, indeed, would be a major victory, but its achievement will necessitate bitter fighting." SCOUTING IN JUNGLE JAPANESE LISTENERS (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. H.JS p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 4 Addressing an officer as "Sir" in the New Guinea jungle lighting is almost an offence. The troops were ordered never to address an officer in a way that might give the enemy a clue to his identity. "They were encouraged to call their officers anything but "Sir." Wounded Australian soldiers who have been lighting in the Owen Stanley Range told this story when they arrived by hospital ship at an Australian port. "Early in the fighting members of Japanese patrols used to sneak up to our positions and by listening to a conversation would pick out officers so unwittingly identified to them." it was stated. "Then, of course, they would try to kill the officers. So we were permitted to call our officers by their Christian names or nicknames. The boys got lots of fun out of it and often used extra expressions for good measure." HANS FRANK REPLACED (Reed. 1 a.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 4 Hitler has replaced the Polish Gov-ernor-General, Hans Frank, with an unnamed Storm Troop general, says the New York Times' Stockholm correspendent- Frank was sacked because lie was "too humane" with the Poles.