AUSTRALIANS CLOSING IN

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15466, 29 September 1943, Page 3

AUSTRALIANS CLOSING IN

ON FINSCHHAF'EN. Unit'd Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—CopyrightSYDNEY, Sept. 28. Advanced elements of the Australian force attacking Finsclihafen (New Guinea) from the south are repc rted to be closing in on tlie Japanese positions on the ridges overlooking the town. The so* troops moved inland to outflank the Japanese positions guarding the approach from the south, which are row threatened from the rear. The enemy is still resisting stubbornly fi om strong defence positions in the Bumi River area, but increasing lend and air pressure is being brought to bear on him. Today's communique from General Mac Arthur’s Headquarters makes r.o mention of an Allied force advancing from Lae to close the trap on Finsclihafen. It was reported yesterday to have reached Hardsell Harbour, 25 miles southwest of Finsclihafen. Tn the Markham Valley area Australians have pushed up Yati River and occupied Sakerak, eight miles north-west of the er.emy outpost at Kaiapit, which was captured a week ago. This force is steadily squeezing Japanese outposts into the narrow confines of the New Guinea seaboard. Aerodromes at Wewi.k, the enemy base on the north coast of New Guinea, received another heavy ■pounding on Sunday from our Liberator bombers, which dropped 33 tens of explosives on supply and dispersal areas starting fires which v ore visible 30 miles away. At Dagua bombs scored direct hits on six I parked aircraft. Lightnings, shot I clow ii three of 20 Japanees fighters j which attemped to intercept the I bombers Tn a raid on Ha.nsa Bay, between Wcwak and Madang, Liberators ! effectively concentrated 28 tons of bombs in supply and bivouac areas |at the Nubi and Potsdam planttj troiis, starting many fires. All our | ] ilanes returned from these raids. 1 There was little air activity in ; the Solomons on Sunday. Allied air- ! craft on reconnaissance off Ohoiseul T land bombed and strafed three j small coastal vessels, one of which | v.as left sinking. Enemy planes ! bombed a small Allied vessel off the | coast of Vella Lavella Island, eartsI irg da-mag* and casualties.