TRAPPED JAPANESE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22992, 8 September 1944, Page 5

TRAPPED JAPANESE

Efforts To Escape (8.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 7. In spite of repeated Allied bombings, the Japanese are trying to keep serviceable their aerodromes on Vogelkop Peninsula. The trapped Japanese Second Army on the peninsula was last reported in full retreat to the south and west coasts. Enemy air strength has been almost entirely withdrawn from the area, and Allied air patrols have sighted few planes on their aerodromes. However, persistent repair work at airfields may be designed to enable planes to be flown in for an evacuation attempt. Allied planes on Tuesday made further damaging raids on these fields, and also wrecked water craft and other installations around MacClure Gulf. At Kokras in MacClure Gulf, a wooden barge building industry, established by the Japanese, has been smashed. This prevents the Japanese from replenishing their rapidly diminishing barge fleet in the area, and thus further hampers possible escape attempts by the trapped Second Army. In spite of lack of any large-scale offensive in the South-west Pacific, Allied troops are killing hundreds of Japanese daily. In patrol clashes from Bougainville to Sansapor, between August 28 and September 4, some 722 Japanese were killed and 242 captured. Adverse weather has interfered with air operations in the theatre during the last 48 hours, but patrols were over the Southern Philippines on Sunday and Monday nights. They sank three small freighters.