HOLD ON MOROTAI

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25001, 18 September 1944, Page 5

HOLD ON MOROTAI

TROOPS SEIZE AIRSTRIP VERY LITTLE RESISTANCE (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 17 American forces of the South-west, Pacific Command who landed on Morotai Island, Halmahera Group, on Friday. have seized the Pitoe airstrip, which is already being enlarged by United States engineers. ' I From this airfield fighters will be able to escort bombers in mass raids *on tli© Philippines, 280 miles away at thle nearest point. The planes will be able to range beyond Mindanao, which so far has been the main target for aircraft. From Morotai the Allies will also be able to inaugurate a blockade of Japan's sea communications with/ Celebes, Borneo and other areas of the Netherlands East indies. The Pitoe airstrip, which was built by the Japanese during their occupa-. tion of Morotai,-w&s found to be partly overgrown. The surrounding country is ideal for airfield construction, being flat and well drained. This important strategic gain on the road to the Philippines was secured almost bloodlessly. Occasional sniper fira was the only resistance encountered by the Americans. The Japanese have now i fled to the hills. The feeble enemy opposition confirmed earlifer estimates that , the Japanese had concentrated their strength on the main Halmahera Island just to the south. . < , j Meanwhile, reinforcements and equipment have been put ashore at Morotai without any hostile aircraft being' v sighted. Carrier and land-based planes continue to support the American ground troops, < V. General Mac Arthur said the Morotai position was now secure and the Allied forces dominated the Moluccas. He rejoiced that this had been accomplished with so little loss. . "The new Americaji landings on Morotai and in the Pelew_ group will - produce a severe reaction in Japan,' said General Mac Arthur. "No sophistry can disguise from the Japanese citizen the fact that the military machine has - failed him in his greatest hour of need. In this lies the basis for the hope,, that the Japanese citizen will _ cease his idolatrous worship of the military caste and readjust his thoughts along more rational lines. The failure of the military machine may mark for him the beginning of a new and ultimately happier era. His hour of decision is close at hand." - The Tokyo radio announces that civilians are being evacuated from Davao, the chief port of Mindanao, in anticipation of an American invasion of the Philippines. A Domei news agency despatch savs: "We are on the pve of a decisive battle. The Allied strategy is to cut off southern regions from Japan and seize bases from which continuous bombings of Japan can t be launched and to accelerate preparations for direct assaults on Japan itself."

AIR RAIDS ON GREECE

ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 13 Allied heavv bombers attacking three airfields in Athens on Friday destroyed 77 planes on the ground, including 60 Junkers and 52 transports. They also damaged 20 other planes. Heavy bombers inflicted considerable damage on Salamis, a U-boat base. ' ' , Junkers 52 transport planes, used presumably for the evacuating of armies from the Balkans, were identified by Allied air crews when, for the second successive night R.A.F heavy aircraft last night attacked Eleusis, Tattoi and Kalamaki airfields, Greece, states a Rome correspondent. . famine 40001b bombs were dropped.