STIFFENING OPPOSITION

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15211, 28 November 1942, Page 3

STIFFENING OPPOSITION

JAPANESE IN NEW GUINEA FRESH ENEMY TROOPS LANDED SUICIDE STAND AT BUNA-GONA United Press Assn.---By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, Nov. 27. Stiffening opposition is being offered by the Japanese garrison to the American-Austral ian forces in the Buna-Gona area. The defenders include freshly larded Marine shock troops, who have been put ashore during the enemy's solitary successful landing operation last week-end. ,► This is officially confirmed in today’s communique from General Mac* Arthur's Headquarters which reports that enemy troops met in action this week have been identified as coming from th©, Yukosuka Marine Depot situated south of Vokohawa Bay. This is one of the three major headquarters anese marine expeditions. The other two depots are Sasebo and Kuri. The excellent physical condition of these troops confirms the landing of “strong fresh reinforcements on November 1,” th© communique adds. No marked change has occurred' in the positional fighting,, the intensity <of which lias slackened temporarily. But there has been no corresponding abatement of air activity. In a series of heavy raids which continued throughout Thursday, Allied Beau fighters, Kittyhawks, Havocs and North American bombers strafed and bombed ground targets. Flying Fortresses dropped IOOOIb. bombs on Lae aerodrome in a night raid. However, despite this bombing of their main New Guinea air base, the Japanese air force was more aggressively active than for some days. Six Zeros were shot down in a series of fierce the Allies losing three planes. War correspondents now refer to the incredible obstinacy “of Horii’s beleaguered garrison.” The enemy’s small remaining strip of coastal beachhead is being converted into a Japanese graveyard,” declares the Sydney Daily. Telegraph. “If the strength of Japanese resistance at Buna is a measure of the opposition likely to be encountered at every Allied forward step in the South Pacific war, then it must be generally appreciated that the struggle will be protracted and costly.

“With Allied air power repulsing and destroying enemy reinforcements, with food aud ammunition supplies being steadily depleted, the Japanese garrison is apparently in a hopeless position. vet as the situation has deteriorated, the enemy resistance lias hardened to a ‘suicide stand.’ ”