PAUAN CAMPAIGN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25135, 28 January 1943, Page 6

PAUAN CAMPAIGN

ENEMY THOROUGHLY WHIPPED AMERICAN OFFICER’S COMMENT SYDNEY, Jan. 27. “Throughout the Papuan campaign I am afraid I under-estimated the Japanese strength. It is only now, when we have the horrible job of burying the enemy dead, that we realise in what force they were.’’ Making this statement in an interview at his New Guinea headquarters, Lieutenant-general Robert Eichelberger. senior United States officer in the field during the campaign, admitted that he had not been prepared for the rapid cracking of the Japanese defences at Sanananda. In the final stages of the fight, however, the enemy had been thoroughly whipped. The Allied casualties had not been light, but the proportion of Allied killed to wounded was far lower than that of the enemy. The majority of American and Australian wounded would recover and come back for future fights. Two enemy hospitals in the Sanananda area had been real horror places, declared General Eichelberger. Contrary to their general practice, the Japanese had not buried their dead for many days. Although some of the Japanese in the more inland section of the Sanananda front had been in a nearly starving condition, with their uniforms and equipment badly knocked about, the main body of the enemy in this area had been fit and well equipped. The general paid a tribute to the Australian troops under Brigadier George Wootten who made the breakthrough to the coast at Sanananda in a “ victory-giving ” manoeuvre. Brigadier Wootten, who is 49 years of age, fought in the Middle East, and was largely responsible for the Japanese repulse at Milne Bay. A Duntroon Military College graduate, he served with distinction in the last war, reaching the rank of major, winning the D. 5.0., and being four times mentioned in despatches. He retired from the permanent forces in 1922, becoming a solicitor. He */as awarded a bar to his D.S.O. in the Middle East, and for/his services in Papua has been decorated with the American Distinguished Service Cross.