SIX AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23260, 23 July 1945, Page 6

SIX AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONS

Engaged In Pacific Total Strength 100,000 Men By Telegraph—N.Z Press Assn.—Copyright 16.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. July 22. Six Australian Divisions are lighting on a 3000 mile are from Bougainville to Borneo. This was revealed with the announcement that troops of the Fifth Division had scaled off 40,000 Japanese in Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain This is the first time in this or any other war that Australia has had six divisions la total strength of nearly 100,000 men) lighting at one time. The Fifth Division landed on Nev. Britain on November 4 last, but no earlier announcement could be maae, says me Army Department, lor security reasons. These considerations no longer exist. The six divisions in the field are the Thira and Eleventh Divisions m Bougainville iSoiomonsi, tne rum Division in New Britain, the sixth Division at Wewak (New Guinea,, the sevenin Division at Balik Papan, ano the Ninth Division at Tarakan (Dutch Borneo) and Brunei-Sarawak (British Northwest Borneo). The Filth Division moved to New Britain from Aitape (New Guinea; when it was relieved by the Sixth. Infantry of the Third Division holding a firm front on the west bank of the raging Nivo River in South Bougainville have been deluged with 15 menes of rain in three days, and an major operations have been halted. The Nivo River, the biggest in Bougainville, is roaring down a» 14 knots. Operations in Borneo "The Australian forces carried out | mopping up operations in recently captured Borneo territory,” says General MacArthur's communique. "The counted enemy dead have now reaened 4306. with 441 prisoners. Our casualties were 386 killed, 12 missing, and 1351 wounded. "The R.A.A.F. and 13th Air Force bombed and strafed enemy rear areas and communication lines, destroying fuel dumps and motor vehicles. The Seventh Fleet light naval units shelled enemy harbour installations at Jesselton, damaging watercraft and starting numerous fires. "Aircraft bombed oil installations at Mako. in the Pescadores, and continued their day and night blockade of Asiatic coastal shipping lanes, attacking a troop concentration near Sw'atow, sinking cargo vessels off the China coast, damaging highway installations in Indo-China, strafing Kuantan shipyards, Malaya, and attacking Ituaba Island in the South China Sea. R.A.A.F. and 13th Air Force heavy units and fighters raging over the East Indies destroyed the barracks at Limboegm aerodrome (Southern Celebes), damaged transport and fuel supplies in the Halmaheras, and attacked shipping in the Lesser Sundas. “Seventh Fleet light units damaged shore facilities in Macassar Strait. The R.A.A.F. and Dutch Air Force struck isolated garrisons in New Guinea and defence positions in the Wewak sector. "The R.N.Z.A.F. and Marine Air Force medium and fighter-bombers started fires and destroyed personnel areas at Kavieng. An Australian naval unit bombarded enemy shore batteries on Northern Bougainville."