FANATICAL FURY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22786, 10 January 1944, Page 5

FANATICAL FURY

Japanese Attacks On

Marines

Outcome Is Annihilation

N.z.P.A. —Special Australian Correspondent (8 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 9. The fanatical fury of the Japanese charges against the American Marine positions near Bergen Bay, Cape Gloucester (Western New Britain), has prompted the belief among some observers that the enemy troops were drugged. The Japanese hurled themselves into a storm of machine-gun fire and were slaughtered. Eight miles south of the Cape Gloucester airstrip 200 Japanese attacked a greatly superior Marine force. The American commander told war correspondents that from their strongpoints the Marines could have held off a force of 2000 Japanese, but for three hours the enemy attacked until he was almost annihilated. Some of the Japanese were naked, wearing only a steel helmet and boots.

General MacArthur’s latest communique reports fresh gains by the Marines, who are now advancing on Borgen Bay, which is 10 miles east of their landing point. The Japanese are being forced back into the sea. An additional 200 enemy killed have been counted after the latest fighting.

Converging Drive Australian and American troops are making steady progress in their converging drives into the Japanese-held northern strip of Huon Peninsula. Each force is averaging about four miles a day through the jungle, and they have narrowed the gap between them to 65 miles. The Australian forward elements are to-day reported to be nearing Scharnhorst Point at the northern tip of Huon Peninsula, about eight air miles from Sl6.

No recent Japanese opposition to the Australian drive is reported. It is evident that the enemy retreat is becoming a rout. As all land avenues of escape are closed, the only possible exit for the trapped Japanese is by barges which must run the blockade of Allied control craft, writes Mr Gordon Walker the war correspondent of the “Christian Science Monitor.” Reports that the evacuation from Sio has begun show that the Japanese prefer patrol craft to Australian tanks and bayonets. Even an attempted evacuation from Sio may be barred in a few days by the Australians forcing their way through the jungle. General MacArthur's week-end communiques report the heavy destruction of Japanese barges in the Sio area. The biggest was made on Wednesday and Thursday, when Kittyhawks destroyed or made unserviceable 13 barges. Few Prisoners Taken The United States forces have taken only 377 Japanese prisoners, said the Under-Secretary of War (Mr Robert Patterson). He explained that he published the figure to illustrate the difficulty of defeating Japan. He added: “We know the Japanese will defend themselves with fanatical zeal. This is attested to by the small number of prisoners taken.”