50,000 JAPANESE ISOLATED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24832, 2 March 1944, Page 5

50,000 JAPANESE ISOLATED

AMERICAN TROOPS SURPRISE ENEMY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Special Australian Correspondent) (Eeceived March 1, 9.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 1 |* American troops yesterday morning landed in the Admiralty Islands, 240 miles north of Madang, New Guinea, and 370 miles north-west of Rabaui, New Britain. They have already captured the Momote airfield, on Los Negros Island, and are rapidly overcoming Japanese resistance at other points. This new Allied coup has sealed the fate of 50,000 enemy troops now hopelessly isolated in the New Britain and New Ireland areas. A late message indicates that the landing so far has been confined to Los Negros Island, but Manus Island, with its important airfield and base at Lorengau, is within 20 miles.

Announcing this, the most northern penetration yet made by forces of the South-west Pacific Command, to-day's communique from General Mac Arthur s headquarters says the end of the whole Bismarck campaign is now clearly in sight. A spokesman at headquarters said the object of the operations was to secure airfields. They had been eminently successful. They were organised as swiftly as possible after close reconnaissance had definitely indicated a weakening of Japanese opposition in the area.

Destroyers, under cover of low cloud and rain squalls, rushed picked American forces to the landing points. The enemy was taken completely by surprise. The troops went ashore under cover of an air and naval bombardment. They encountered little initial opposition, although fighting became heavier later in the day. General Mac Arthur accompanied the invasion troops on a United States warship and observed the assault. The Admiralty Islands are a group of 160 volcanic and coral islands, the principal ones of which are Manus and Los Negros. They are only 610 miles from Truk, in the Carolines, and lie on the communication line between that base and Rabaul, New Britain.