“TOO HOT TO HANDLE”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 273, 18 November 1943, Page 5

“TOO HOT TO HANDLE”

JAPANESE MAY ABANDON RABAUL Recd. 11 p.m. Washington, Nov. 17. The Japanese have suffered such destruction at Rabaui, according to a United States Navy spokesman, that they may have to abandon the base as “too hot to handle.” Their losses include important fleet units. The spokesman asserted that 102 Japanese planes had been shot down in the Rabaui zone in the past six days, compared with 15 American n.'-.iies lost. These figures were so fantastic that oven high Government, officials doubted them until supplied

with proof. Nevertheless the Japanese continued to pour ships and planes into Rabaui. The spokesman listed the Japanese claims of Allied ships sunk or damaged since Pearl Harbour as follows:—Battleships, 26 sunk and 12 damaged; carriers, 14 and 6; cruisers, 80 and 37; destroyers, 82 and 31; submarines, 147 and 51. The United States Navy’s official figures of its own losses in all war theatre are: One battleship, tour carriers, nine cruisers, 33 destroyers, and 14 submarines.

JAPANESE GENERAL DEAD

Reed. 6 p.m. New York, Nov. 16. Tokio radio announced that Lieu-tenant-General Nobumasa Tominga, commander of a Japanese army corps on the southern front, died of illness. At one time he was military attache in Berlin.

DAY-AND-NIGHT BATTLE

Sydney, Nov. 13, A vivid close-up of the stern lighting going on unceasingly near Fischhafen, New Guinea, was given by Lieutenant-General Sir Iven Mackay, newly-appointed Australian High Commissioner in India, at a function tendered him in Sydney by friends. At the time of his appointment, Sir Iven Mackay was temporary commander of Australian forces in New Guinea.

“The principal struggle in New Guinea,” he said, “is now going on for the consolidation of Finschhafen and seizure of Huon Peninsula. The Japanese are resisting desperately this attack around the corner, as it were, towards Madang and Wewak, and they do not intend to give up command of the Vitiaz Strait without a bitter struggle. Consequently, round about Finschhafen, by day and night, there is going on a terrific struggle on the sea, on land, and in the air. “From the heights of Satelberg. the Japanese can overlook our positions and get warning of our major movements bv land and sea. At night the Japanese barges come from the north with supplies, and sometimes with reinforcements. They are attacked, and often sunk, by fast Allied torpedoboats, which, in their turn, are lit up by searchlights and gunned from the shore, or. on moonlight nights, chased by Nippon Zeros. I “Frequently, Allied planes bomb and strafe the Japanese positions, and sometimes the Japs, to, drop bombs or try to provision their grdund troops from the air. In all these ways we are systematically destroying the enemy, and gaining the upper hand, though it may still be some time before the operation is complete.” Sir Iven admitted that he had only a limited knowledge of India, and [would take up his new post with no preconceived ideas of the country and its people. In the not distant future, India was likely to become the centre of most important events, and he hoped that, through his military association, he would be able to make a helpful contribution. It was fortunate that the new Viceroy of India was Lord Wave]!, under whose comimand so many Australians served in the Middle East.