Japanese Beaten Off

Timaru Herald, Volume CLII, Issue 22446, 4 December 1942, Page 5

Japanese Beaten Off

Spectacular Sea and Air Action Grim Struggle m New Guinea (Received 9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, December 3. N.Z.P.A.—Special Australian Correspondent THE JAPANESE naval forces making the sixth attempt to land shock troop reinforcements and supplies for the beleaguered Buna fortress garrison have been driven off. If any enemy reinforcements have been put ashore they are officially described as “small and not sufficient to alter the land situation.’’

The most spectacular sea and air action of the New Guinea campaign raged about the convoy. Large numbers of enemy fighters provided an air umbrella, but Allied aircraft, in ceaseless attacks, shot down 23 Zeros and damaged many others. Our losses are stated to have been light, in spite of intensive anti-aircraft opposition.

The full composition of the Japanese convoy has not been revealed, but it is stated to have been “shepherded by destroyers.” These destroyers were first sighted about midday on Tuesday off Gasmata, New Britain, and from that point onwards they were shadowed relentlessly, and were attacked continuously for some 15 hours. Only one direct hit on a destroyer has been claimed, but several near misses are believed to have caused damage.

Under Heavy Strain

An unmistakable sign that the enemy garrrison is under a heavy strain is the growing inaccuracy of the ar ’- aircraft fire. By night as well as by day our bombers attack. Planes and fighters, piloted mainly by Americans, are pouring high explosives Into the Japanese coastal fortress.

“This has been no small scale serial sideshow but a tremendous, sustained offensive against limited objectives,” writes a New Guinea war correspondent. The contrasting scope of the fighting meant that the bombing had to be concentrated on the enemy's rearward strong points.” A feature of Wednesday’s activity was the daring of Australian pilots in three Wirraways (obsolete for operations 1 purposes). Engaged on an observation mission, the pilots decided to take a hand in the fight and strafed enemy barges and machine-gun posts along the coastal strip. Combined with the aerial offensive, the ceaseless artillery and mortar bombardments against Japanese strong points have meant for many days that the enemy garrison has been given no chance to rest and so regain some of its strength. The fighting quality of the Japanese has never been better displayed than in their present resistance, which r described in to-day’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters as “of the greatest fierceness.” Early on Wednesday morning the convoy was seen 40 miles off the coast from Buna, and steaming north-west. The first attack on the Japanese ships was made by Flying Fortresses, which were engaged by 20 Zeros. In this opening clash five enemy fighters were shot down, and a sixth probably destroyed. When the North American bombers swept into the attack, three more Zeros were destroyed. An official report released to-day does not list each successive action, but one of the most dramatic is stated to have occurred when the convoy came close to the coast at Buna under cover of darkness. As our bombers roared down in low-level attacks, the enemy ships zig-zagged wildly in an effort to dodge the falling bombs. The darkness was split by rockets, flares and intensive anti-aircraft fire as the destroyers tried to beat off the raiding aircraft. At this stage it is possible that some reinforcements, and perhaps stores, were put ashore, but the number of troops could not have been large, since the enemy vessels were kept always on the move. The greatest number of barges sighted was 12 Observers report having seen an explosion on a destroyer. In the late stages of J’ie battle, Beaufighters swooped low over the destroyers, spraying the decks with machine-gun fire. Havocs then took up the attack, and just before daylight on Wednesday Liberator bombers delivered blows at the convoy as it steamed northwards.

New Pitch of Fury

Throughout all these attacks by night as well as by day an umbrella of Zeros was over the enemy ships. The maintenance of this protection must have required the greatest number of Japanese fighters yet used in the New Guinea campaign. Attempt to Burn Enemy Out In Papua efforts are being made to smoke and burn the Japanese out of the most stubborn of their Buna beachhead positions. Allied aircraft dropped incendiary bombs to start fires in the coastal jungle. These are reported to have taken a good hold. Fierce fighting continues at the four main centres of enemy resistance—the air landing strip slightly west of Cape Endaidare, the main Buna air strip, Sanananda Point, and Gona mission. All are within range of Allied artillery and some are within range of our concentrated mortar fire.

When the Australians fighting around Gona cleared the enemy from another section of beach to the southeast, large stocks of medical and other supplies were captured. Japanese casualties in the fight for the beach were substantial. Enemy survivors of the fight attempted to escape the Australians by swimming out to .. wreck off shore. This was apparently a planned move as the swimmers wore lifebelts Our machine-gunners, however, anticipated the plan and. lying on the beach, picked oft the Japanese as they endeavoured to reach their haven. Vulnerable to Diseases The supposedly jungle-proof Japanese troops have proved more vulnerable to tropical diseases than the Australians and Americans, according to

Mr Noel Monks. London “Daily Mail” war correspondent, who passed through New York en route from the Southwest Pacific to North Africa. “Because of their unhygienic ways, there are more casualties among the Japanese from tropical diseases than from the war. There are no greater physical hardships in this war than in New Guinea. What tore my heart was to see the way our boys are living like savages on their jungle airfields. They have even begun to look like savages.” Mr Monks said that not sufficient notice had been taken of General Sir Thomas Blarney’s soldierly genius.

Simultaneously with the sea and air action off the north New Guinea coast, a new pitch of fury has been reached in the land battle for Buna.

Driving ahead in the wake of shattering air and artillery bombardments the American ground forces have now entered the outskirts of Buna village. The Australian forces which penetrated the enemy positions rear Gona are advancing along the beach towards Sanananda.

A further combined American and Australian force is making a drive against Sanananda from Soputa. but progress is slow and painful since the Allies are forced to make wide detours around chest deep sago swamps. Sanananda lies at the centre of the enemy fortress area.

The Japanese continue to contest every foot of the Allied advance. Mr W. E. Lucas, the correspondent of the “Christian Science Monitor,” says that to enter the outskirts of Buna the Americans had to “squirm their way through undergrowth dank from millions of sunless years Iffore rising for the final 10 yard charge through withering fire.” In the Gona salient our advancing troops captured a Japanese post where among the equipment were 40 Bren guns which must have been taken frpm the Allies in the earlier campaign.

These latest Allied gains in the Papuan land battle have the important effect of pocketing and isolating “he Japanese resistance, thus cutting off strong points from essential supplies. For the last few days the position of General Horrii's beach-head army has steadily deteriorated, but no complete collapse of the defence can be expected.