AIRFIELDS TAKEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24879, 28 April 1944, Page 3

AIRFIELDS TAKEN

NEW GUINEA PROGRESS MENACE TO JAPANESE NET RAPIDLY CLOSING (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 9.30 p.in.) SYDNEY. April 27 The American forces operating on j the 150 miles invasion coast of! northern New Guinea have had; further outstanding successes. The' troops at Hollandia seized the! Cyclops and Sentani airfields on j Tuesday and now are moving against j the Hollandia airfield, the third and | most important aerodrome in the ■ area. They crossed Lake Sentani in amphibious armoured fighting vehicles to take the two airstrips. This force is expected soon to link with the second American column advancing from its landing point at Tanahmerah Bay. Bombingf Escape Routes Allied aircraft, probably operating from the captured airfield at Aitape, are bombing and strafing Japanese escape routes leading south-west from Hollandia. This use of the Aitape airfield. combined with the capture of airfields at Madang and Hollandia, means that the Allied net is fast closing on the imprisoned Japanese Eighteenth Army of 60.000 men. General Mac Arthur is convinced that this enemy force will make a final stand, but at what point remains a matter of conjecture. The sole Japanese air offensive reported in tlie communique to-day was a night attack by torpedo bombers against an Allied warship off Hollandia. No hits were scored. The enemy planes are believed to have come from "the base at Geelvink Bay, 400 miles north-west of Hollandia. Major Resistance Absent This area was heavily attacked by Liberators, which destroyed 20 parked aircraft on the Kamiri airfield, in an attack at dusk. Three intercepting enemy fighters were shot down Although about 1000 Japanese are reported to have been killed at Hollandia, the absence, of expected Jarge.scale enemy resistance in the area continues to be puzzling. Official estimates on Saturday indicated that there were about 15,000 Japanese at Hollandia and 500 to 1000 at Aitape, but the invasion forces have made contact with few enemy troops. Having failed to make a stand on terrain suitable for defence, the enemy garrisons appear to have withdrawn into the hills.