AUSTRALIANS IN OWEN STANLEYS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 243, 15 October 1942, Page 5

AUSTRALIANS IN OWEN STANLEYS

ENEMY POSITIONS PENETRATED RABAUL AGAIN HEAVILY BLITZED

P.A. Special.

SYDNEY, October 14.

Australian troops have penetrated the Japanese positions astride the Owen Stanley trail south of Templeton's Crossing, just past the summit of the ranges. V They are still driving on. The strength of the enemy forces in the area has not been announced. Skirmishes in which tommy-gun fire was exchanged occurred after opposing patrcls had stalked each other on Monday. It is reported to-day that determined frontal and fiank actions finally drove the Japanese from fox-holes, trenches and machine-gun posts and that the Australians are now approaching Templeton's Crossing, which is on the edge of the northern slopes of the ranges at the junction of the alternative trails through Kagi and Myola (both already in the hands of our forces). 'The latest report that the Australian advance is continuing encourages the belief that further good news from the New Guinea front may be expected. Most war commentators believe that once Templeton's Crossing has been passed the Japanese are unlikely to offer strong resistance until Kokoda is xeached at the foot of the the ranges— a drop of 5000 feet down the 12 miles trail. No estimate has been given of the number of casualties inflicted on the Japanese, but the Australian losses during the whole advance are stated to have been light. More men have been brought back to hospital suffering from tropical diseases than from wounds. Rabaul, the important Japanese base for operations in both the Solomons and New Guinea, has again been heavily attacked by Flying Fortresses of General MacArthur's Command. Many tons of bombs, including 1000-pounders, were dropped in the latest night attack on two aerodromes there, causing large fires and explosions. These attacks were offieially deseribed earlier as designed to hamper operations by the enemy air force in the vital Solomons theatre. Direct hits were observed in the midst of parked aircraft and considerable damage is believed to have been caused. Other Allied planes bombed installations in Rabaul town, which was severely battered in three raids last week, There was no enemy interception, and all our planes returned safely.