ATTACKED FROM AIR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 225, 24 September 1942, Page 5

ATTACKED FROM AIR

BUNA-KOKODA SUPPLY LINE SMASHING BLOWS ON JAPANESE (Special Australian Correspondent—N.Z.P.A.) (Recd. 10.35 p.m.) Sydney, Sept. 23. Smashing Allied fighter and bomber attacks on the BanaKokoda supply line and against Japanese bases at Rabaul and Buka are reported in the latest communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters. Diving through a heavy anti-aircraft barrage in a night attack on enemy shipping in Rabaul harbour. Flying Fortresses scored two direct hits on a large supply vessel. Aerodrome dispersal areas were also attacked. In two sweeps by Kittyhawks over Buna and along the Japanese line of communications across the Owen Stanley Ranges, a bridge was damaged and a warehouse, hutments, ammunition and store dumps, launches and barges were left in flames. These were amongst the heaviest fighter attacks yet launched

in the South-west Pacific. Catalina flying-boats raided Buka aerodrome by fjarelight starting fires visible 50 miles away. No mention was made in to-day’s communique of land fighting on the Owen Stanley Range front, but it was . reported that patrol activity con- ' tinues. There have been no major developments in the past 24 hours. Evidence that the Japanese are determined to consolidate their Owen Stanley positions accrues from reports that the track from Buna to Kokodti has been widened and relocated to improve the grade. Many shelters for stores have been built. In Tuesday’s in this area Allied planes fired 34,000 rounds of ammunition. Australian troops cut off as the Japanese advanced over the ranges are now finding a way to their own lines. One officer brought back a party of eleven, including three wounded. For seven days they existed on meagre native foods, mainly lengths of sugar-cane. These they used as walking sticks, breaking pieces off tc ease their hunger. Another party missing for nine days was without food for six days. The Australian forces have now completed Lions at * Milne Bay, and report that the last of the Japanese, after having been hunted for weeks, were in poor physical condition. Although short of food they had plenty of ammunition and fought fiercely to the end. GENERAL TOJO’S BOAST Washington. Sept. 22. ■ The Japanese Prime Minister. General Tojo. boasted to the Black Dragoon Society that Japan would occupy the city o£ Perth, Cocos Island, the key islands of the New Hebrides anil Fiji, by next January, according to a Korean agent’s report to the Korean National Front Federation in Washington. The agent said that Tojo told a meeting in August that Japanese submarines would attack Dutch Harbour, Alaska, Tacoma, and Washington, anti also that Batavia would become the largest aeroplane assembly centre and < Singapore the largest ship-repaii centre for Japan. JAP TACTICS LEARNED BY ALLIES (Recd. 11.40 p.m.) N< t. 22 The New York Daily News correspondent says: “Allied troops in New Guinea by painful experience have finally learned the tricks of jungle fighting and are now resisting the Japanese in a fashion likely to change the entire picture of the battle. A cryptic report from the jungles saying the enemy has not advanced for more than a week may mean that the initial Japanese advantage has been cancelled. The Japanese failure to advance is due only to their inability to do so.” __

BANKNOTES SEIZED EVIDENCE OF JAP FLANS (Special Australian Corresjiondent—N.Z.P.A.) (Reced. 11.20 p.m.) Sydney, Sept. 23. A large number of banknotes printed in Japan have been seized by the Allied military forces during the South-west Pacific operations. They are accepted by the Australian military authorities as proof of Japan’s intention to invade and occupy at least part of Australia or New Zealand. The notes are in denominations of £l. 10s. Is and “half a shilling.” and th? fact that they were captured in this theatre is held to indicate that they could only have been printed for distribution in Australia or New Zealand. Similar notes have been issued in other countries occupied by the Japanese. The banknotes were to-day shown to a war correspondent, together with a Jananese naval proclamation demanding the allegiance of Bismarck Archipelago natives. On the face of each note are the words “Japanese Government” in bold black capital lettering, and at the right-hand side is a picture of an island scene. The pound note is printed with a dark green body and measures 61 in. by 3in. The 10s note measuring s«in. by 3in. is brown. The shilling note, 4-lin. by 2Hn. and the half-shilling note, 3*in. by 2ifi are light green in colour. “Large numbers of these notQS, strapped in packs, were captured by Allied forces during recent operations,” stated an Australian Army spokesman, Similar not r s were circulated by the Japanese in the Straits Settlement. The fact that the notes were nrinted in pound. t°n shillings, one shilling and half-shilling denomites that they are intended for use either in Australia or New Zealand.” A conv of the naval proclamation was exhi’/.ien by the spokesman. This was inlei 1 for circulation among the English-speaking section of the island natives, who were expected to make its contents known to other natives vliable to road English. The Proclamation, nrinted on foolscapsize paper with several words misspelt, reads: “We guarantee your life and property. Nippon has declared war against the United. States. America and England and is going to a glorious war with them to keep the independence and honour of the yellow race. Already the navy of Nippon is winning victory everywh' re and has occupied all the Bismarck Archipelago. Therefore you don’t belong to the sovereignty of England but to the sovereignty of Nippon. See your circumstances in past time. There was nothing but oppression and squeze of the white race. Follow us and happiness and wealth will be given.—(Signd.) Navy of Nippon.