STEADY HEADWAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 November 1942, Page 3

STEADY HEADWAY

AGAINST JAPANESE IN NEW GUINEA ATTACK ON COASTAL STRIP. CONCENTRATED AIR POUNDING OF ENEMY. LONDON, November 25. In the Far East the Allies are continuing to strike hard against the Japanese on land and sea and in the air. In New Guinea American and Australian forces are steadily making headway against stubborn Japanese resistance in the coastal strip between Buna and Gona. One hundred Allied planes yesterday subjected the Japanese hemmed in the narrow Buna-Gona area to the most concentrated pounding of the New Guinea campaign, a special correspondent in Sydney states. All day our aircraft flew over the coastal strip, bombing and strafing every sighted target. Flying Fortresses, North Americans, Marauders, Havocs, Beaufighters and Airacobras t all took part. Sanananda was raided nine times during the day. ‘"I would hate to have been in Japanese shoes,” commented an Allied officer who had a close-up view of the attacks. Machine-gun nests and artillery positions were silenced and troop concentrations heavily punished. The air activity was one-sided and no Japanese aircraft were in the sky. To hamper’ the enemy air force Fortresses in a night attack dropped 10001 b. bombs on the runways and dispersal areas of Lae aerodrome. This is the main base for close Japanese air support. The land fighting continues with undiminished .fierceness. Both at Sanananda and Buna Allied artillery units arc employing 25-pounder and 37-milli-metre guns. Buna is still the main centre of the land fighting, with the Japanese resisting desperately the American efforts to invest the Mission and main aerodrome areas.

The small enemy force bypassed at Gona is still holding out. More than 100 enemy dead have been, counted near the ivllage and many more are reported to be scattered along the beach and under the palm trees. Though the enemy is conceded to hold naval supremacy in northern New Guinea waters, no further efforts appear to have been made to relieve the Japanese Papuan force by sea. Waicorrespondents suggest that the Japanese warships found it .too expensive to run the gauntlet of the Allied bombings. The Allies have the advantage of larger land forces as well as air superiority, without which the present offensive would have been impracticable.

The sole Japanese offensive air activity has been a night raid on Darwin. The enemy sent over 18 navytyre bombers but no damage or casualties were caused. Allied Kittyhawks made their first successful night interception, shooting down one bomb'er. A second bomber was brought down by anti-aircraft fire. Allied Hudsons continue to attack Timor objectives. The latest raid was against Penfoei aerodrome, Koepang. Beaufighters also strafed enemy troops in billets at Lautem, east of Malacca, on the north coast.

SWAM ASHORE United states general. PLACE IN BOAT GIVEN TO WOUNDED OFFICER SYDNEY, November 25. When Japanese Zeros set fire to a small vessel carrying supplies to United States troops now attacking Buna, an American general on board declined to take his place in a small lifeboat about to push off for the shore. With the vessel ablaze he insisted that his place should be taken by his aide, who had been shot in both legs and arms. The general even refused to hang on the back of the lifeboat for fear it might upset. He swam ashore and then assisted to carry the wounded to shelter. “It made a great impression on us,” declared a soldier eyewitness, “and the general was greeted with cheers when he came ashore.”