OUTLOOK BRIGHTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25068, 9 November 1942, Page 3

OUTLOOK BRIGHTER

NEW GUINEA AREA JAPANESE HOLD CHALLENGED (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 8. The Japanese hold in Northern New Guinea is being seriously challenged by the Allies. American and Australian troops have won encouraging new successes, and a quickening of the offensive against the enemy in this theatre appears to be in prospect. Except for the bridgehead in the Buna-Gona area, the Japanese have now been cleared from all of Northern Papua. American ground forces, it was revealed in a communique to-day from General MacArthur’s headquarters, were transported by air from Australia during the past month, and played a major part in these operations. Allied units, which are based on Milne Bay, arc announced to have cleared the remnants of the enemy from the islands to the north of the bay and to have occupied strategic points. The communique does not specify the islands occupied, but important groups in the area are D’Entrecasteaux, Trobriand, Woodlark, and the Louisiade Islands.

The occupation of most of the Northern Papuan coast line does not imply an immediate threat to Japan’s main northern New Guinea bases of Lae and Salamaua, which are about 150 miles north-east of Buna. The enemy’s task of reinforcing his Buna garrison from these bases, however, will be complicated considerably by the Allied possession of the intervening section of the coast. Australian troops continue the pressure against enemy positions on the high ground near Oivi, nine miles from Kokoda. Local encirclement moves have been made to dislodge the defence, while supporting Allied aircraft have strafed the enemy's positions. The Japanese here are reported to have used one mountain gun, as well as heavy mortars. With the Allied ground forces flanking his Buna-Gona bridgehead, the enemy force in this area is now seriously imperilled. Developments during the next few days are likely to prove significant, but it is not known whether.our troops have been able to make substantial progress in the Oivi area. With Allied air power countering Japanese control of the sea lanes north of New Guinea and affecting the enemy power to reinforce Buna from Rabaul. his remaining Papuan force may be cast entirely on its own resources. While further hard fighting is inevitable, there now appear to be good prospects of substantial Allied success in this sector.