FINAL ASSAULT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22475, 9 January 1943, Page 5

FINAL ASSAULT

Japanese Army Annihilated

Costly Papuan Campaign

N.Z.P.A.—Special Australian Correspondent (10.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 8. The Japanese Papuan army of 15,000 men, commanded by General Horii, has been annihilated. The complete destruction of the enemy was a primary objective of the Allied campaign. All that is left of the shattered remnant of a once substantial force is entrenched at Sanananda, and General MacArthur’s communique to-day states that the enemy positions have now been completely enveloped. A General Headquarters spokesman told war correspondents to-day that our forces have now completed their regrouping preparatory to launching a general offensive. Patrol activity has been intense, and our pressure is increasing. The Japanese are overwhelmingly outnumbered and outgunned. They occupy a little more than a mile of barricade pillbox defences, which have been sited on carefully chosen positions. Sanananda was originally the landing point for the Japanese Buna force on July 22. To-day’s Headquarters communique is the longest on record, and incorporates details of the Papuan campaign. The size of the Japanese force has come as a surprise to some observers. It is revealed that in addition to infantry, General Horii had at his disposal anti-aircraft artillery, mountain artillery and horse cavalry apart from specialised units such as engineers, construction and pontoon units and medical organisations. Enemy aircraft losses since the opening of the campaign on July 23 are given at 333 destroyed, 89 probably destroyed and 117 damaged. In addition "incidents of combat and flight” must have caused the loss of many more enemy planes. Japanese naval losses inflicted by our aircraft since July 23 are: Sunk, destroyed or seriously damaged, six cruisers, 13 destroyers, one destroyer tender, two seaplane tenders, two gunboats, 44 large to medium merchant ships, 39 small to medium merchant ships, 150 to 200 landing barges. In addition to the Papuan army of 15,000 troops now destroyed, several thousands more troops were drowned in convoy sinkings and attempted landings. General Horii’s army comprised elements of the following units: Fifty-fifth Division, 144 infantry, 47 anti-aircraft artillery, 55 mountain artillery, 55 cavalry, 14 construction unit, nine pontoon unit. 55 medical and service units. Fiftieth Division: 41 infantry. Thirtyfifth Division: 228 and 229 infantry. One Hundred and Fourth Division: 170 infantry. Yokouka: No. 5 naval landing force. Sasebo: No. 5 naval landing force. Kube: No. 3 naval landing force. No Bloodless Finish Although Japanese positions at Sanananda are formidable and a bloodless finish to the Papuan campaign Is not expected, the destruction of the enemy’s Buna Mission force is held to have written a practical finale to what the “Sun” war correspondent describes as “one of the biggest little wars in history.” He adds: “Buna Mission presented a scene of destruction like a picture postcard of shattered Flanders when Allied troops moved in. A storm of shells, mortar fire and bullets had tom and ravaged what had been one of the loveliest spots in North Papua. The acrid smell of cordite, amatol and grenade explosions and the snarl of Tommy-guns as the remaining pillboxes were blasted narked the end. The final attack occupied six hours.” The "Sydney Morning Herald” war correspondent writes: “Japanese officers, soldiers, marines and unfortunate coolies shared the democratic mud of the battlefield for their deathbeds. Down below the earth there were more Japanese dead. These victims of the cannons of Australian tanks, grenades and home-made bombs hurled by Allied infantry had died in dug-outs and foxholes in which they had fought for weeks. Ine one dug-out alone there were nearly 100 Japanese dead. Australian decontamination parties paused in their grim work from time to time during the last few days to attend the burials of their own comrades in a coconut plantation near the battlefield. Padres conducted simple ceremonies while stripped to the waist. Diggers stood about honouring their fallen comrades.”