ATTEMPTED BREAK BY JAPS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15237, 30 December 1942, Page 3

ATTEMPTED BREAK BY JAPS

BLOODILY REPULSED AT BUNA DEEP WEDGE IN ENEMY’S LINES. MAJOR AIR BATTLE PREDICTED United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Special Australian Correspondent. > SYDNEY, Dec. 29. When the Japanese trapped by tbe ; Allied forces on the right flank of j ! their Buna position, attempted to j ; break out at midnight on Sunday, I ! they were “bloodily repulsed.” This j iis reported by General Mac Arthur’s ; j communique today, i The subsequent Allied counter-at- | tack with artillery support, drove j still another wedge deep into the ent my's final defence line. An enemy ! naval craft believed to have been a i submarine shelled the American occupied Buna village for about four ! hours between midnight on Sunday and dawn on Monday.. The shelling caused no damage. Allied ground forces are revealed to have captured a number q! dual puipose anti-air-craft and anti-tank guns in the Buna an field fighting. Allied aircraft have again been active over the fortress area in support of bur ground operations. Havocs bombed and strafed enemy supply dumps and attacked a few Japanese who were sighted along the coast. Marauders bombed a Japanese wreck half a mile off the coast of Goua. Tills bad been used as a supply dump and anti-aircraft guns had been mounted there. After three direct hits the wreck was left smoking heavily. Beau fighters strafed enemy barges near tbe mouths of the Kumusi and Amboga- rivers. Th© 400mile an hour Lightnings have not been reported again in action. It is revealed that the Allied air commander, Lieut.-General Kenny, has been patiently husbanding them for a major air battle. He achieved his wish to throw them as a shock weapon against the most formidable Zero concentration, he could find in New Guinea Lightnings lia.ve been used in the Southwest Pacific mainly for reconnaissance work for wliicb their high speed makes them particularly suited.