ASSAULT ON LAE

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22137, 8 September 1943, Page 5

ASSAULT ON LAE

JAPANESE IMPERILLED AUSTRALIANS’ ADVANCE (United r n? s - Kler. Tfl. Copyright) (Received Sent. 8,2 p.m.) ; NEW YORK. Sept. 7 ! The invasion of Lae is believed to be the beginning of a determined all-out drive to smash the Japanese , stronghold on Rabaul. in New Britain. This is the opinion of competent observers in the United States. It is considered the invasion is being carried out on an exceptionally heavy scale—with greater naval and air support than might be considered necessary to capture Lae alone.

When Lae falls it is expected that the Allies will strike at Finschhafen, across the Huon Peninsula, the pos- ; session of which would seriously im - peril the Japanese bases in "New i Britain. j “General MacArthur’s sudden blows | against Lae seem to be the heaviest which have fallen on the j Japanese ground forces since the i war,” says the New York Times in ian editorial. “The ten-mile advance i by the Australians throLigh the jungle ! in the first dav shows the demoralisation of the Japanese. The rest of [the battle will not be as easy as the i opening attack, because the enemy knows how to dig in, but whether ! they die where they stand or fight their way out of the Allied cordon the fact remains that the Japanese have been outfought and outguessed throughout the year and are nearing the end in their disastrous attempt to i conquer Eastern New Guinea.” Admission by Japanese Broadcasting from Tokio a spokesman admitted that the Japanese in the Lae area are exposed to excepj tional difficulties. The great distance | from Japan and the difficulties of j maintaining supply communications ■were the main causes of the Japan- ! ese predicament, added the spokes- : man. ! The Tokio official radio said that the development of the war situation j from now on warrants absolutely no 1 optimism. The Japanese have suffered costly losses at Lae.