MOPPING UP NEAR MADANG

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 14, 12 October 1943, Page 5

MOPPING UP NEAR MADANG

Australian Progress

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received October. 11, 11 p.m.)

SYDNEY, October 11. Japanese troops retreating up the Raniu River valley toward Madang m the face of advancing Australian troops are destroying bridges in a vain attempt to stem the pursuit. The Australians, who are less than 45 miles south-west o£ the big enemy base of Madang, are now mainly occupied with enlarging the area they control 'before attempting direct assaults on Japanese coastal strongholds. At the weekend, Vengeance* diveibom/bers supported Allied troops engaged in mopping up Japanese remnants in the hills round Finschhafen. Small pockets of hidden enemy soldiers were cleaned out. These enemy soldiers are mostly marines, who are described by tralian war correspondent as the most enthusiastic diggers on earth.’ Subter-

ranean passages have been cut into all sections of the New Guinea .plantation areas. To get to one of these shelters situated in a hillside, Australian infantrymen -found it necessary to climb down a 25ft. ladder and the main passage extended 60 feet to a covered exit on lower ground. From the main passages, annexes were cut where marines, the elite of Nippon’s warriors, lived and slept in damp and stinking quarters. Not the least acceptable of the booty which victory has placed in the hands of the Australians has been chickens from poultry runs which appear to form an integral part of Japanese garrison establishments. The Australians had been living on an unrelieved diet of bully beef for a long time.