JAPANESE INFANTRY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 235, 1 July 1944, Page 7

JAPANESE INFANTRY

No Sign Of Withdrawal In North New Guinea (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received June 30, 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 30. Remnants' of three Japanese divisions still hold 150 miles of the north New Guinea coastline. They are trapped between th.e Australians, who have now crossed the Sepik River, and the Americans, who are about 30 miles south-east.of Aitape. The Japanese troops comprise almost exclusively infantrymen. There is no evidence of any large-scale withdrawal of enemy troops in this sector. The destruction of 20 barges along this part of the coast is reported by General MacArthur’s communique today. R.A.A.F. Beaufighters were responsible for inflicting the greater part of the losses. The Liberators which made the seventh daylight raid on’Yap, 75 miles north of New Guinea and 670 miles from Saipan, caused considerable damage to installations as well as destroying two parked aircraft. Without loss to themsely.es the Liberators shot down two of the 27 interceptors with five others damaged. A. war correspondent on Biak Island reports that enemy soldiers on the island fortified with opium and sake have suffered “grandiose illusions about their invulnerability to Allied bullets.” with the result that they have been slaughtered. Opium smoking equipment has been found on the bodies of many Japanese killed on Biak.