BITTER 10-DAY FIGHT

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

BITTER 10-DAY FIGHT

Collapse Of Resistance At Finschhafen SYDNEY, October 4. The Japanese resistance at Finschhafen collapsed on Saturday after a bitter 10-day fight under an assault on two flanks by men of the Australian Ninth Division. The Australians entered the township through the ruins created by Allied non-stop shuttle bombing and a week of artillery bombardment. .Not a single building remained intact and the prepared Japanese positions had been rooted up by bombs and shells. R.A.A.F. Vengeance dive-bombers aud United States Bostons paved the way for the final phase of the Finschhafen campaign by concentrated attacks on enemy defence positions near Jakakog. The defenders had no time to rally after this bombing when combined land attacks were launched from Jakakog Spur and Salankaua Plantation, west of Finschhafen. Ou the Salankaua flank our troops overran feeble opposition, but .100 Japanese marines, were killed at Jakakog 'before' the Australians gained the momentum for the final drive into Finschhafen.

Small parties of Japanese are being hunted through the Kreutsberg Ranges west of Finscbbafen. Some sharp skirmishes have been reported round Sutelberg, 10 miles north-west, ot the age.The Allied air forces immobilized the Finschbafcn air strips for several months while they were held by the enemy, but they are capable of rapid repair and development. Finsehhafeji airfield is only 85 miles from Cape Gloucester on the western tip of New Britain and 330 miles from.the main Japanese base at Rabaul on the north-eastern tip of the island.