U.S. LEAP-FROGGING TACTICS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 199, 20 May 1944, Page 7

U.S. LEAP-FROGGING TACTICS

Advance In Dutch New Guinea LARGE AREA SEIZED (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyrights (Received May 19, 10.30 p.m.) SY.DNE.Y, May 19. The Wakde-Toem area of Dutch New Guinea, 125 miles west of Hollandia, has been seized by American invasion troops. Pursuing General MacArthur s spectacularly successful leap-frogging tactics, United States task forces made the new landings on Wednesday and Thursday, and already they have occupied a large area. Three airfields, which , are important strategic prizes, are still in Japanese hands, but the Americans are astride the main field on Wakde Island, where the enemy are endeavouring to stem their advance with mortar fire. Reports indicate that the Japanese resistance generally has been weak. So far 30 Japanese have been killed while the American casualties were four killed and 32 wounded.

The occupati on of Waclke air base will give the Allies for the first time air cover over the whole of Dutch New Guinea. General MacArthur’s communique announcing this says the operation presages reeonquest of the entire Dutch New Guinea. Australian and American cruisers and destroyers escorted the invasion convoy and bombarded the landing beaches. The first lauding was made at dawn on Wednesday at Arara on the New Guinea mainland opposite Wakde Island. The Japanese were taken completely by surprise- and there was no opposition. The urea seized was immediately extended to Tor River, five miles to the west, and to Toem village, two and , a half miles to the east. This beachhead is still being expanded. Stronger resistance may be encountered in the Sarnii area just west of Arara beach-head where ■ the Japanese airfields and supply installations are located. Before noon on Wednesday the second landing was made ou Insoeraanai Island, the smaller of the two Wakde Islands, after an aerial bombing and strafing attack. The troops who made the landing moved across a strait two and a half miles wide from the Arara beachhead. Island Airfield Readied. On Thursday morning the main Wakde Island was invaded. The American landing force faced fire from enemy pillboxes and snipers and suffered casualties. Allied bombers and destroyers concentrated their bombardments against these emplacements, and before noon yesterday the Americans had reached the edge of Wakde airfield. After overcoming the beach defences they met only' light opposition till they encountered mortar fire on the airfield. ’’ 1 Latest reports indicate progress in the attack against the aerodrome. It is apparent that the Japanese along this sector of the Dutch New Guinea coast suffered severely from the continual aerial soften-ing-up’ blows which preceded the latest landings. Then, taken by surprise by the American invasion forces, they were able to offer only negligible resistance. The Japanese have now been flung back 1000 miles from Milne Bay, their most easterly point of penetration in New Guinea. In the Hollandla-Aitape sector the Americans killed 2120 Japanese and captured 441. Today’s south-west Pacific headquarters communique reports the killing of a further 320 and the capture of 54 more Japanese at Hollandia. The release of two Swiss nationals brings the number of prisoners rescued■ from the euemy to 720.

TRAPPED JAPANESE

Contacted In New Guinea (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 18. The first contact with the remnants of the Japanese Eighteenth Army, which are trapped in British New Guinea, is announced from the Aitape sector. Here the Americans have encountered enemy outpost positions 34 miles to the southeast of their beach-head. The Japanese forces are thus being squeezed between the Australians moving up the const from Alexishafen and the Americans driving from Aitape. The Allied air forces are co-operating by attacking enemy troop concentrations, supplies, and lines of communication along the coast. The strongest air attacks in the South-west Pacific theatre.continue to be directed against the Japanese airfields and bases in the west of Dutch New Guinea, Despite uncertain weather for several days, the Allied air offensive is being driven home within a radius of more than 400 air miles from Hollandia.