DESPERATE FIGHTING IN PAPUA

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15233, 24 December 1942, Page 3

DESPERATE FIGHTING IN PAPUA

JAP NETWORK OF DEFENCES j i ” EVICTION OF ENEMY DIFFICULT. j VICIOUS. FANATICAL STAND. United Press Assn. —.By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Special Australian Ooriespondent.) SYDNEY, Dec. 23. Desperate fighting continues in Papua as tlie Allies endeavour co batter tlieir fiercely disputed way through the Japanese defensive network of pillboxes, trenches and barricades. Our progress is slow. Til the capture of Enduiadere and the subsequent advance against the Buna airfield and Buna. Mission more than a hundred separate fortified strongpoints have been overcome a,nd there seems no prospect of a Japanese collapse. The ultimate annihilation of his garrison is certain, but while the Allies’ employment of tanks should hasten the inevitable end a maze of defensive works still remains to be crushed. Mauy months of arduous work evidently went into the construction of the Buna-Gona fortress which is now re duced in size to less than three square miles. General MacArthur’s communique today admits that “the intricate and thoroughly prepared positions of the enemy have made our progress relatively slow,” but the vicious and fanatical suicide stand of the Japanese garrison has been the main delaying factor. Despite the apparent shortage of food and ammunition enemy troops have not cracked under the relentless aerial and artillery bombardments and tank assaults. Although lacking in anti-tank gums they are now using Molotov cocktails, magnetic bombs and heavy mortars as well as flame-throwers as defensive weapons against our tal ks.

Enemy soldiers carrying bombs have thrown themselves under the tracks of tanks in vain efforts to halt them. To delay our infantry anti-personnel mines were laid but Allied sappers have been able lo clear passages through the fields. Japanese snipers have been active both in front and behind our advance and enemy ambushes ar© frequent. Despite complete control of the air and artillery superiority, combined with the use of General Stuart tanks, the Allied troops still face a mighty struggle before the last Japanese is evicted from Papua. While _ the Americans fight for Buna airfield and the Australians push on towards Buna Mission, a combined fore.' lias been steadily closing in oil the enemy at San--Luan-da. American troops waded chestdeep through thick black mud to gain the rear of the Japanese positions which halted our advance, ft was round that the enemy had constructed machine-gun posts even in the swamp itself. The Allied force is now within two miles of Tlie coast at Sanann.nda, having gained about half a mile of fiercely contested ground in th© past few days. Two enemv trucks loaded with ammunition wer© captured in the Sanananda area. This i s a sever© loss to the enemy whose prospects of securing additional supplies have now faded to vanishing point.