MARKED APTITUDE FOR HARD GOING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 18, 16 October 1943, Page 5

MARKED APTITUDE FOR HARD GOING

Men Of Third Division In First Land Operation

tOllicial War Currespoudviil, K.Z.E.If.) VELLA LAVELLA, October 1.

The first land operation.in. which men of the Third New Zealand Division in the Pacific have been involved has entered its tenth day with the New Zealanders making substantial progress at times in very stern fighting against Japanese pockets of resistance on the north-west coast of Vella Lavella.' One of the two combat teams closing in on either side of the enemy has encountered fierce opposition at a point where the main Japanese concentration appears to be. and its advance has been slowed down for the time being. The going is extremely hard in heavy jungle undergrowth and torrential ram, but the New Zealanders are showing a marked aptitude in coping with the new and difficult conditions. The enemy headquarters are on a stretch of the northwest coast between Timbala Bay and Marquana Bay. Their strength, though still indeterminate, may be from 500 to 000, and the measure of their resistance suggests that they have plenty of rations, ammunition and light infantry weapons. Well dug-in in defensive positions, the Japanese are fighting with a fierceness born of desperation. The operations began on September 21, when combat teams from the 14th brigade landed at two widely-separated points in the northern sector of the island. Their objective was to squeeze the enemy into a small coastal strip, where they could be eliminated under steady pressure and to isolate and destroy pockets overtaken in the advance. Week Before Major Contact.

Progress was slow. With no roads and only a few rough tracks in the immediate vicinity of coconut plantations, troops and equipment had to ibe moved by sea. Oniy the patrols which had the task of makiug a reconnaissance of each beach and bay before calling up the main body of troops travelled big distances on foot. Fleets of landing craft sped to and fro from base camps to forward positions, turning the operations into a big amphibious exercise. It was almost a week before any major contact was made with the enemy apart from one skirmish on the north coast when a Japanese barge was captured and 13 Japanese killed, latrois with native guides pin-pointed large enemy forces round Timbala Bay on September 21 and by Monday the New Zealanders were in a position to squeeze m on the enemy at the first light of the following morning. A heavy artillery barrage preceded the infantry attack and a semi-circle of New Zealanders crept down the hills toward the bay. In® Japanese camp area at the foot was found deserted, the enemy having left it the previous night in hurried abandon, blipplies of ammunition and rations lay strewn in the bivouac area. Patrol Ambushed.

The attack was pressed on. and late that morning heavy machinegun and ri-.te fire heralded the first major contact close to the coast. The New Zealand line by then stretched from the north side. of Timbala Bay and ran eastward, penning the Japanese along the narrow strip ot coast and leaving them one line of retreat to a point guarded by strong patrols at the head of Marquana Bay. Torrential rain overnight and throughout next day slowed down the advance, though the New Zealanders on the left flank moved on to Umomo Island, near which a patrol had been ambushed the previous day am been forced to withdraw after severa hours’ close fighting with rifle and grenades. At this stage it is still impossible to estimate the number of enemy casualties, though they are known to be substantial. Our own casualties were light.