FIRST JAP LANDING ON PAPUAN SHORES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 173, 24 July 1942, Page 5

FIRST JAP LANDING ON PAPUAN SHORES

MORESBY MENACED

Allied Planes Take Toll Of Enemy Forces United Press Association.—Copyright. Special Australian Correspondent. (Rec. noon) SYDNEY, this day. Japanese troops have made their first landing on Papuan territory. A force estimated at about 2500 men was put ashore from a convoy at Gonna mission near Buna. Buna is the northern terminus of the only track across Papua to Port Moresby [ by way of a 7000 feet pass through the Owen Stanley range. The landing, which is believed to have been made early on Wednesday morning, is seen as a grave new threat to Port Moresby. Allied planes inflicted heavy casualties on the disembarking troops, and one large transport and a barge were sunk. The convoy Is the one referred to in Wednesday's Allied headquarters communique. It was sighted by an aerial reconnaissance unit, arid attacked by our bombers late on Tuesday afternoon. Bombing and strafing attacks were maintained throughout Wednesday. To-day's communique reveals that the transport previously reported to have received a direct hit was sunk. The enemy landing was made at a point not occupied by our troops, but our planes made the operation expensive in men and materials. Shore-bound barges filled with troops were bombed and raked with machine-gun fire, and one was sunk. An enemy floatplane was shot down in combat. Two of our fighters are missing. Buna is 130 miles east of Salamaua, where the Japanese landed on March 9, and is within 200 miles of the important island port of Sumarai on the eastern tip of Papua. Some observers believe the Japanese will try to occupy Samarai. This would complete their control of the northern coastline of New Guinea and also enable them to dominate a section of the southern coast. Buna s small harbour is suitable as an advanced base for submarines. An air base could readily be built in the area, bringing fast Japanese bombers within 30 minutes' flying time of Port Moresby 110 miles away. Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin commenting on the £?Pf nese landing at the Papuan port ai i the - resu 'ting threat to Port Moresby, said that it shows that since the Coral Sea and Midway Island battles the Japanese had been working like beavers to build up their strength. "There can be only one answer," he added. "We must work like beavers, too. We had a breathing space, but the menace to . IT whicll ,. is a constant menace, will not disappear until the Japanese have been utterly defeated."