UNDER COVER OF HAZE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 285, 31 August 1942, Page 5

UNDER COVER OF HAZE

Japanese Force Arrives At Milne Bay STRUGGLE FOR BRIDGEHEAD

(Dy Telegraph.-—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.)

(Received August 30, 11 p.in.)

SYDNEY, August 30. Fighting of bitter intensity, with no decided result, continues in Milne Bay, south-east of New Guinea. Here, in the steamy heat and mud of the jungle, the Japanese are meeting the first serious organized resistance offered them since they began their southward drive from the areas, north of Australia. Under cover of a thick haze, which reduced air visibility almost to nil, a Japanese cruiser and eight destroyers on Saturday night put into Milne Bay. Further enemy reinforcements may have been landed.

The original enemy force in the area is now revealed to have come from three small transports. Though no estimate has been given of the numbers of this force, it is believed to comprise trained guerrilla fighters, who fought in the assaults on Malaya and the 'Netherlands East Indies and in the earlier New Guinea landings. The arrival of eight enemy warships in the bay emphasizes the enemy’s determination to secure his bridgehead, which is being hotly contested. Veteran A.I.F. troops back from overseas, as well as militiamen, are opposing the landed forces. They are supported by a small number of American service troops. Fighting is now in its fifth day. Air operations against the invader have 'been considerably hampered by adverse weather conditions. The latest Allied headquarters communique makes no reference to attacks on the enemy warships newly arrived in Milne Bay, but somewhere in the same sector our bombers attacked a single Japanese destroyer, which is believed to have been damaged. Brilliant Australian Fighters. Brilliant Allied fighter plane support for ou Ttroops in the area has been exclusively Australian pilots, including men who have won decorations for their combat records in Britain and the Middle East. One squadron has four D.F.C. winners. The Allied bomber aircraft are manned by Americans. In spite of the bad weather Allied airmen during the past week have destroyed at least 33 Zeros in the New Guinea sector. The Allied losses were two machines. Tropical rains have bogged the jungle tracks in the area in which the Japanese are dug-in. Fighting is takink place in the jungle fringing the narrow strip of beach where the Japanese lauded last Wednesday: Their landing point was several miles from the head of the bay, which extends 38 miles inland. The enemy speedily infiltrated through dense jungle where their green uniforms made detection difficult. The first parties brought ashore mortars and machineguns.

The capture of the Milne Bay area would give the Japanese an air base to protect a frontal sea-borne attack on Port Moresby. Australian observers, however, feel that the appraisal of future possibilities would be cautious. Should the weather further deteriorate, our difficulties will be increased.

Skirmishing continues in the Kokoda area of Papua, 'but all Japanese attempts to advance in this sector have been repulsed. Patrol Clashes at Bulolo.

Patrol clashes are also reported for the first time in the Bulolo area, about 35 miles south-east of Lae, and 150 miles north-west of Port Moresby. This indicates that Japanese forces have infiltrated along the Markham River Valley from their "base at Lae. Bulolo has one of the most important airfields in New Guinea. Bombs On Rabaul. The enemy aerodrome at Rabaul was the target for an attack by heavy bombers of General MacArthur's command during the past 24 hours. Ten tops of bombs were dropped on runways, buildings and aircraft dispersal areas. Six Zeros intercepted our planes and two were dqestroyed and two probably destroyed. A recon noissance piano in the same area shot down two more enemy fighters. Other Allied bombers attacked an enemy aerodrome at Buka in the northern Solomons. Ou Friday Allied medium bombers raided enemy positions at Milne Bay, but bad weather on Saturday did not permit, continuation of the attacks.

Today’s Allied headquarters eommutiique also reported that north of Australia an Allied air unit attacked an enemy cargo vessel near Amboina, with unknown results.