ISLAND ZONES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25287, 22 August 1945, Page 7

ISLAND ZONES

AUSTRALIANS' PAISLEYS NO MOVE IN SOME AREAS i (Real. 7.a0 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 21 i The Australian .forces on Bougainville have been warned not to fire on a Japanese plane flying long streamers which may land in the Australian area shortly. This order ) followed a special meeting on the i Mivo River front yesterday between i a special Japanese envoy and an t Australian representative. 1 1 here is still no sign of Japanese ~t capitulation on either the Seventh or ) Ninth Australian Division fronts in Borneo. Isolated offensive actions by , the Japanese are still being reported. [. Forty-five Japanese, the last of the , former enemy garrison on Tarakan Island, surrendered to the Australians yesterday. There is still no surrender news from .New Guinea or New Britain t Scene on Board Corvette , There was a dramatic scene on p board the Australian corvette Lifhgow yesterday afternoon when Captain Takanaka delivered a letter from the Jap- " anese commander in the Solomons, I General Kanda, to Commander Fowler for transmission to Lieutenant-General S. G. Savige, Australian Corps Commander, but refused to be taken to , Torokina to receive further instructions. I Finally an Australian sub-lieutenant pointed a revolver at Takanaka's chest and pushed him into a chair. The Lithgow, after steaming through • a minefield six miles long, reached a rendezvous off the southern tip of ! Bougainville. Twelve New Zealand Corsairs circled overhead. Two barges came out from Shortland Island to keep the rendezvous and Takanaka climbed on • board, while armed guard.; covered him and an interpreter. When he was told that he would be taken to Torokina to receive further instructions from General Savige, Takanaka protested strenuously. Arrogance Rebuffed After a delay of four hours the Japanese barge was again brought alongside the Lithgow and the barge officers were informed that Takanaka would be taken to Torokina and returned safely. Takanaka again registered a protest and. standing arrogantly, lie argued loudly until the sub-lieutenant "quietened" him by holding a revolver at his chest and pushing him hack into his chair. Takanaka had earlier given an assurance that Kanda was mustering all Japanese on Bougainville and adjacent islands at four different assembly points named by General Savige. SURRENDER PROMISE ENEMY ON BOUGAINVILLE ORDERS TO GENERAL KANDA (R.N.Z.A F. Official War Correspondent) BOUGAINVILLE, Auk. 20 The final steps toward the surrender of all Japanese forces on Bougainville are being taken bv Lieutenant-General Masetane Kanda, who this morning sent envoys to the Australian front line at Mivo River ford and to H.M.A.S. Lithgo ,• in Buin Bay. Both, envoys carried special messages for Lieutenant-General Savige, commander of the Second Australian Corps. Kanda has promised to carry out the surrender terms to the best, of his ability and is already beginning the concentration of all enemy garrisons in the heavily fortified Buin area. Late yesterday 104 Japanese troops crossed the Mivo River and gave themselves up to Australian infantrymen. They said they were < 'crying out their general's orders. With Commander F. Fowler. Senior Australian naval officer in the Solomons, on board, together with a number of correspondents and photographers, the Australian corvette Lithgow left Cape Torokina early yesterday afternoon for a spot five miles from Moile Point. The vessel anchored during the night off Motupena Point and was in Buin Bay soon alter dawn this morning. The .Japanese envoy was Captain Takanaka. who was brought to the corvette in a weather-beaten Japanese barge manned by enemy troops and displaying the white flag. The envoy, erect and dignified, saluted as he boarded the ship and then handed the Australian commander an envelope for General Savige. He returned to Torokina this | evening in the Lithgow and will go ; back to Kanda's headquarters tomorrow < with a message from General Savige. | Several miles of minefields lay in the ,

path of the corvette and the area vvas swept, a few hours before by Australian minesweepers, which surfaced two mines while clearing the channel for the corvette. Corsair fighters of tli.s R.N.Z.A-.F. "ghost" squadron, flying under their new commander. Squadron Leader I). F. Hogan. P.F.C., of Auckland, were overhead in formation and continued to give air cover while the Japanese envoy camo on board.