U.S. THREAT TO BUNA

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 39, 10 November 1942, Page 5

U.S. THREAT TO BUNA

Trucks Through Jungle (By Telegraph.—Press Assn—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received November 9, 10.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, November 9. The Japanese rearguard in Papua is still resisting in the Oivi area, about 48 miles from Buna, and the encirclement movements by the Allied troops continue to make progress. Allied aircraft supporting the operations have made further bombing and strafing attacks against the enemy positions and supply line. No contact with the enemy has yet been reported by the American force, which Is now, stated to have penetrated deep into the eastern flank of the Buna sector, but the war correspondents appear to be unanimously of the opinion that the Japanese must eventually be force dto release their hold on this base. To get to their positions now menacing Buna„ the American forces had to perform many fine feats of military engirt; feering., Swamps Mere filled in, rivers bridged, and tracks hacked through the jungle to permit the passage of. their four-wheel-drive. trucks. No official judication has been given, pf the , size of the American force, but it is evidently a powerful one. . ’ The careful planning and skilful execution of the whole plan of campaign against the Japanese at Buna is generally praised, and the move is believed to be the first step in General MacArthur’s broader New Guinea offensive. The fate of the move must inevitably be. closely linked with the developments in the Solomons. Further Objectives. With Buna captured, an offensive against the enemy’s north-eastern New Guinea bases at Lae and Salamaua would follow logically. The _ “Sydney. Morning Herald,” commenting in an editorial on these substantial strategic ’gains and the further opportunities for the initiative which they present, says that the possession of the entire north Papuan coastline will offer a “clear invitation to the, Allies to continue their drive to Rabaul in collaboration with operations by the forces under Admiral Halsey’s command.” Today’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters reports , attacks by our medium bombers along the coast in the Salamaua area. Since the main communications between Salamaua and Buna are by sea, further Allied air attacks to hamper, the passage of enemy supplies may be expected. These supplies are mainly carried by barges. Allied aircraft have been active in the New Britain area. At Gasinata a wireless station was wrecked and bombs were dropped among grounded aircraft. Enemy installations bn Arawe-Maklo Island were also raided. North of Australia, Japanese shipping at Koepang, in Timor, was bombed.

JAP WITHDRAWAL ON GUADALCANAL

11 Warships Attacked WASHINGTON, November 8. A Navy Department communique says that on November 6 United States forces advanced eastward of the Metapono Riven four miles east of Koli Point on Guadalcanal. No contact was made with the enemy’s main body in this area. x .Army dive-bombers made several attacks on enemy positions during the day. A large ammunition dump and gasoline storage were destroyed. In the early morning yesterday motor torpedo-boats attacked two enemy destroyers off Lunga Point, north of our positions on Guadalcanal. One Jestroyci is believed to have been sunk. A small United States auxiliary transport was damaged by an enemy torpedo during the morning. . . During the afternoon United States aircraft attacked an enemy surface force about 150 miles north of Guadalcanal. Enemy planes attempted to protect.toe formation, which consisted of one iigut cruiser and 10 destroyers. The enemy cruiser was badly damaged and possibly sunk. O ,le “®" stroyer was badly damaged, five floattvpe Zeros and seven other floattype aeroplanes were destroyed. Four of our planes failed to return. The “New York Times” Washington correspondent says that the Japanese sea forces sunk or damaged m the Solomons actions described in the communique are believed to have been, carrying supplies and reinforcements for the soldiers on Guadalcanal, who have been faring badly since the American marines and soldiers recaptured the initiative. Officials have not explained the apparent Japanese withdrawal eastward ot Henderson Field. It is not known whether the Japanese embarked on transports and moved to another position, or whether they retired inland in preparation for another move. However, an official spokesman pointed out that since the eastern Japanese forces failed in the diversionary effort they may have marched inland by jungle roads round the American positions to reinforce the main Japanese body west of the aerodrome. The Japanese are losing five men for every American lost on Guadalcanal. according to the Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox. He added that this disparity in casualties is probably due to the fact that the United States Marines assigned trt the Solomons combat were all specially chosen for their expert marksmanship. This policy was apparently finding its justification in the island jungle warfare, where the fighting was between small groups weaving among trees rather than between large masses in opposing lines. A Tokio radio- report says that naval operations continue in the Solomons waters, and that a liew United states fleet concentration is expected. This is the first contradiction by the Japanese of their earlier boasts of an overwhelming victory and smashing of the American naval power. The second round of the battle for the South Pacific is generally expected to be a terrific struggle, involving forces even greater than those which were used in the first round.