MET AUSTRALIANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 69, 23 March 1942, Page 5

MET AUSTRALIANS

JAPS. IN NEW GUINEA FIERCE FIGHTS REPORTED ENEMY ADVANCE HELD UP <By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Recd. 6.30 p.m.) London, March 21. Vichy radio says a Japanese column advancing along the Markham River met strong detachments of Australian forces. Fierce fighting is progressing and the Japanese advance is held up. Canberra, March 20. The Japanese invading forces traversing the Markham Valley are making such a rapid advance from their base at Lae that they may make contact with troops at any moment, and guerrilla fighting begin in earnest, says a correspondent in that area. The Japanese are within 70 miles of the soutnern coast line, and 150 miles from Port Moresby. Should the aerodromes and landing places in the Markham Valley fall into their hands they will become operational bases for an attack on Port Moresby. The correspondent points out that the Japanese will find, great difficulty in launching a full-scale attack against Port Moresby from inland owing to the mountainous country between them and their objective. Some of the peaks are many thousands of feet high. In yesterday’s Japanese raid on Darwin—the fifth made by the enemy —two persons were killed and seven injured, one of them seriously. The Japanese are reported to have used “daisy cutter” bombs filled mostly with old rivets and bolts. Allied fighters pursued the enemy aircraft out of sight. Port Moresby to-day had brief raids by four enemy machines which dropped six bombs and machinegunned ground targets. They were driven off by anti-aircraft defences. No casualties or damage are reported. Enemy machines made another attack on the Solomon Islands yesterday. The results of this are unknown.