FINAL MOPPINGUP STAGE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 99, 21 January 1943, Page 5

FINAL MOPPINGUP STAGE

Reached In Papua ENEMY BOMBER INTERVENTION (By Telegraph—-Press Assu.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received January 20, 10.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 20. The campaign in Papua has reached the final moppltig-up stage. Four isolated pockets of Japanese in the Sananaiida area continue to resist, but each pocket. Is being enveloped and vigorously attacked. Allied troops are making good progress in their reduction of tliese pockets of resistance, and heavy casualties are stated to have been inflicted on the Japanese in the last fighting on a big scale in the beachhead fortress area. The enemy air force made a desperate attempt to assist their ground troops. Late on Monday night 18 enemy bombers raided our positions in the Sananaiida area, but did no damage. The only other Japanese air offensive in the past 24 hours was against Milne Bay. Four bombers took part, following an ineffectual attack on Sunday by 44 aircraft, and again no important damage was done. Daring Manoeuvre. The main Australian dive through coconut groves and jungle swamps to the kernel of the enemy defences at Sanananda itself took two days. In the advance a small pocket of resistance was by-passed in the coastal sector, and detachments were left behind to root out the Japanese in this pocket. The Australians then moved swiftly on to capture Sananaiida village and Sanuiiuuda Point, The drive by the Australian forces is described bv Harold Guard, the American United Press war correspondent, as a "daring manoeuvre across treacherous swamps and kunai grasslands.” It was made in heavy weather. Twenty-seven Japanese prisoners were taken. "Attacks against the disorganized enemy are now being made wherever they are encountered,” says the "Sydney Morning Herald's” war correspondent. "When they are mopped up the epilogue to tlie Papuan campaign may be said to have been written.” All the remaining Japanese pockets can be attacked from at least two sides. The enemy groups are cut off from their ammunition and supply dumps, while those inland have no hopes of escape by sou. To got away they must plough through deep, malarial swamps on each side of the main trail. Kumusi Stragglers. With the coming destruction of the enemy's Sananaiida garrison the only Japanese left in Papua will be the few stragglers along tlie north-west coast around the Kttmus River and its estuai.y lb are being rounded Up and billed bj our patrols pushing out I fro » > l G ° , !T liq „ n i Lae and Salamaua have had then usual daily raids made by Mitche 1 medium bombers and long-range hjiter. • fighters also made sweeps in the Hamb.ut. and Kumusi River estuary areas. A lied aircraft returned to the attack 1U J yesterday, when Beau fighters st ah. hiiibHixw lii the Koi Islands the town of Toeal was bombed by -Mitchells, buildings being destroyed.