DETERMINED STAND
JAPANESE IN NEW GUINEA AUSTRALIANS INFLICT HEAVY LOSSES (N.Z.P.A, Special Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 20. The Japanese manifestly have no intention of abandoning their New Guinea campaign, and they are holding grimly to positions in the heights of the Owen Stanley Range at Eora Creek, a village about eight hours’ trail distance from Kokoda. Yesterday they ~ launched three counter-attacks, hut were driven back with heavy losses. Allied' units which are still forcing their way forward have to drive the enemy from a continuing series of “ foxholes ” and machine-gun nests.
It appears that the Japanese are fighting a determined holding action, and no doubt their subsequent moves will be largely dictated by the outcome of the battle now being waged for the Solomons. In the event of an Allied victory there it seems likely that Japan’s New Guinea campaign will wither away. Conversely a Japanese victory would probably be a prelude to renewed offensive efforts against Port Moresby. Along the northern Papuan coast it would appear that the enemy still has strong garrisons at his Lae and Salamaua bases. Some spread of his occupation of his coastline is evident by reports of recent Allied air attacks on Japanese positions at the mouth of the Mambare River between Buna and Salamaua.
The latest communique from General MacArihur’s headquarters reports that there has been no offensive air activity during the past 24 hours. It is believed, however, that there was at least one Allied bombing attack against Japanese concentrations on Monday night, but reports have not yet been received. There is little doubt that the raid was connected with operations in the Solomons now moving towards a climax.
WITHHOLDING BAD NEWS
A PERNICIOUS DOCTRINE
MONTREAL, October 19. The Director or the Office of War Information, Mr Elmer Davis, said that in ter-Allied economic co-operation during the war was proving so valuable in the merest common self-inter-est that it. would probably be continued in some form after the war. Praising Canada for the candour arid commensense with which the severe losses at Dieppe were announced, Mr
Davis said; “We all recognise that information which would aid the enemy and which was not already known to him must be withheld, but in neither nation do we admit the pernicious doctrine that bad news should be'withheld because it might discourage the people or should be saved up till it can be balanced with good news. A free people wants to know and has the right to know how battles are going and will fight all the harder if it realises how hard it must fight for victory.”-
U-BOAT DESTROYED BOMBED BY AMERICAN NAVAL PLANES (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 20. United States Navy Air Corps planes operating from Iceland destroyed their first U-boat, which was caught and bombed on the surface by Catalina flying boats. The crew of 52 were made prisoners. . MADAGASCAR FIGHTING LONDON, October 20. A Vichy communique states that in spite of vigorous assaults during the past three days the'British have been upable to take any positions which our troops arc defending south of Ambrositra.
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Evening Star, Issue 24331, 21 October 1942, Page 3
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516DETERMINED STAND Evening Star, Issue 24331, 21 October 1942, Page 3
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