PUSHING INLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 December 1943, Page 3

PUSHING INLAND

AMERICANS IN NEW BRITAIN FIERCE JAPANESE AIR ATTACKS BROKEN UP. WITH SUBSTANTIAL ENEMY LOSSES. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 19. Anieric’an troops in southern New Britain are pushing inland from their invasion point on Arawe Peninsula. Repeated fierce Japanese air attacks on the Americans’ beachhead have been broken up by Allied fighters. In the ■ first 48 hours of tin 1 Allied occupation, 24 Japanese aircraft were shot down, with others probably destroyed.

While development of the new-won territory around Arawe is proceeding, the enemy occupied Cape Gloucester area (near the western extremity of New Britain, abbut ,60 miles from Arawe) has been pounded with more than 300 tons of bombs. Liberators ih devastating neutralizing raids designed to support the American invasion force struck at installations and bivouac areas on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Since the Americans landed at Arawe, the Cape Gloucester area has received about 400 tons of bombs. Preinvasion bombings of Cape Gloucester earlier in the month totalled about 800 tons.

General MacArthur's communique today reports that the Americans at Arawe have captured much enemy equipment, including a battery of field guns. No heavy land fighting has yet been reported, and a few Japanese snipers who have been discovered on remote parts of the peninsula are being mopped up. Lightnings and Thunderbolts have shared the honours in the air war over Arawe. On Thursday they smashed three Japanese aerial attacks, shooting down nine bombers' and five Zeros without loss. On Friday they added to their score with seven bombers, two Zeros and a reconnaissance plane VALUABLE NEW BASE:. Frank Kluckhorn, “New York, Times'' correspondent at General MacArthur’s headquarters, says the Japanese failed to concentrate a sizeable force in the Arawe area because they expected the Allied landing elsewhere. The Americans’ capture of Arawe in Wednesday’s landing cut the Japanese barge route along New Britain’s south coast. Arawe harbour is expected to be used as a base for Allied light naval craft capable of controlling the Vitiaz Strait separating New Britain and New Guinea. In addition to most of the narrow Cape Merkus peninsula three miles along, the Americans hold nearby Pilelo and Arawe islands. Washington reports say the American’s aim is not to attempt to advance at once toward the main enemy bass of Rabaul, 250 air miles from Arawe, at the northern tip of New Britain. According to these reports the Americans will build up new bases to intensify blows against Rabaul by Allied land-based as well as carrierbased aircraft.

RAPID GAINS AMERICANS FIVE MILES EAST OF LANDING POINT. JAPANESE TROOPS DRIVEN INTO WILDERNESS. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.‘ SYDNEY, This Day. The American troops' who landed on the Arawe Peninsula, in New Britain, on Wednesday, have captured Umtnigalu, a village about five miles east of the original landing point. Patrols are rapidly fanning out to consolidate the Allied beachhead. Allied planes, which strafe the retreating Japanese from tree-top height, are supporting the general American advance. Stores abandoned by the Japanese include large quantities of food and ammunition, and the enemy forces must become increasingly short of supplies as they are forced back into the wilderness. Their only way of escape is through virtually impassable and unknown country to the northern coast of New Britain. No such trek has ever before been attempted. The coastal strip between Arawe and Umtingalu, where the Americans are digging in, is sheltered by cliffs about 200 feet high. West of their beachhead, American patrols are approaching extremely rough country around Sauren and Cape Busching. Dense mangrove swamps fringe the sea in this area.

OPINION IN TOKIO THREAT NOT UNDERESTIMATED. NEW YORK, December 19. “We do not underestimate the threat to Rabaul, but raid progress by the Americans is unlikely because of the rough territory,” says Tokio radio quoting a Japanese military review on the Allied landing in New Britain.

The radio added that the Allies now had the opportunity to establish airfields on Arawe peninsula, possession of which would also permit the Allied navies to threaten the Japanese in New Guinea. According to the radio claim, 40 Allied planes attacked Rabaul on Friday and 18 were shot down, the Japanese losing two. The radio claimed that Japanese naval planes sank three small transports and a large number of landing barges in the Arawe invasion. General MacArthur’s communique stated that no Allied shipping was lost. GOOD PROGRESS MADE BY AUSTRALIANS IN NEW GUINEA. ENEMY GROUPS WIPED OUT. (Special Australian Correspondent.) . SYDNEY, December 19. Austrians on the Huon Peninsula are driving northward from Lakona. Heavy casualties were inflicted upon the Japanese defenders at Lakona when the base fell last Wednesday. Our 28-ton Matilda tanks completely demoralised the enemy in a dramatic engagement for a series of strongpoints on dominating ridges. Tanks

herded together groups of Japanese, who were driven to the edge of a cliff, over which they jumped to destruction in a panic-stricken effort to escape. As the remainder of the enemy garrison retreated across the Sanga River just north of Lakona, Australian artillery and machine-gun fire also caused substantial casualties. Our patrols have since mopped up disorganised enemy parties scattered in the area. Considerable equipment has fallen into the hands of the Australans. In the island sector of the Huon Peninsula north or Wareo, the enemy is still being driven back by artillery and mortar fire. The fall of Lakona seriously threatens the line of communications serving Japanese troops in this inland sector. Lakona has played a vital part in the campaign on the peninsula, serving as the principal enemy barge base and troop dispersal point. NEW THRUSTS BY AMERICAN FORCES •IN BOUGAINVILLE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 19. An Allied spokesman at the American headquarters says that American infantry and Marines have started a new push from their brideghead at Empress Augusta Bay, on Bougainville Island. The advance is to the east and north-west and is receiving strong air support. Light naval forces have also bombarded the coast.