COMPLETE SURPRISE FOR ENEMY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 5

COMPLETE SURPRISE FOR ENEMY

Great Strategic Victory

(Received Octobei- 4, 11 p.m.)

SYDNEY, October 4. “The campaign leading to the capture of Finschhafen will become an exemplar for all military students,” said General MacArthur’s spokesman, Brigadier-Gen-eral Charles A. Willoughby,- at a Press conference. For anticipation,_ planning and split-second timing, it will be remembered long after the war as one of the greatest strategic victories.” The enemy, he said, had been lured into showing his strength at Lae while the simultaneous moves on either flank at Salamaua and Finschhafen had taken him completely by-surprise. There was good reason to be proud of our achievements in the South-west Pacific area because of the limited resources available to us. ' , „ , ~ “We still do not have enough, he said. “The Japanese Empire has more than 70 divisions of troops and. great industrial resources. It is sucking its newlywon territorities of fuel, rubber, tin and many other things we need, and it.is in a position to go on doing this unhindered while it retains control of. its inner sea, which is beyond the range of bombers from this area. The Japanese are Still able to reinforce New Guinea with any number of divisions they like, and we niust always keep that in mind.”