RICH PRIZE IN BORNEO

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23259, 21 July 1945, Page 5

RICH PRIZE IN BORNEO

i Sambodja Oilfield ' Enemy Forced Inland By Telegraph- N Z press Assn.-Copvri.m: WASHINGTON, July 19. Elements of the Australian Seventh Division have secured the Sambodja oilfield centre, 28 miles northeast of Balik Papan. It is the richest prize the Australians have taken in their campaign. The Australians have pressed the enemy forces deeper inland in all I sectors, says General MacArthur's | communique "Australian engineers have begun the long-range job of transforming Balik Papan into a formidable base. It is expected that normal life, including the operation of the narrow-gauge railway, roads, telephones, water supply and ; electricity, will be resumed within two months. The engineers have already landed 10,000 tons of stores and equipment. Their task involves work comparable with that required to move a medium-sized city to Borneo. Tire engineers were able to make an early start with the construction of the base as the result of the rapid completion, without serious casualties, of the biggest job of mine clearing yet encountered in the Pacific. "Air and light naval units caused numerous fires and much destruction In attacks against enemy coastal targets. Search planes sank a freighter, set fire to one at Samarinda and another at Bandjermasln. Fighters set lire to a fuel barge and heavily damaged a riverboat near Sibu. Bombers Over Kyushu "Fighter bombers of the 57th Air Force made low-level bombing and strafing attacks on railway communications and shipping in the waterfront areas of Southern Kyushu and in waters to the south. Railroad tunnels north-east, north-west and south-west of Kago Shima, a principal port and important rail centre of South-east Kyushu, were sealed by direct bomb hits. A third tunnel was damaged. "Many watercraft near Miyaoki on the east coast were left unserviceable. Docks were set on fire and a 10,00C-t.on cargo ship destroyed off Amami Island.

“Scheduled attacks on Formosa were cancelled because of adverse weather. “Seventh Air Force bombers penetrated thick cloud cover and dropped more than 200 tons of bombs on the Kiangwan aerodrome, near Shanghai. Escorting fighters started fires on Tinghai aerodrome and attacked shipping at Taishan Island. Night air patrols destroyed or damaged 27 cargo craft off the Asiatic coast, sank a freighter-transport off Hainan Island, set fire to enemy storage facilities and damaged motor transport near the Canton and the Indo-China coast. Medium units bombed Ituba Island in the South China Sea. Other aircraft caused fires at Lhnboeng aerodrome. Celebes, wrecked 15 coastal craft along the southern coast and In the Lesser Sundas R.A.A.F. and Dutch medium bombers and fighters attacked isolated enemy garrisons and destroyed several barge's. In North-western New Guinea R.N.Z.A.F. and Marine units set fire to personnel areas at Kavleng and Rabaul and bombed points of resistance in support of the ground operations.”

The Army estimates that 10.090 Japanese troops are still hiding in the north Okinawa mountains. The Americans are killing' an average of 50 a day.