FIERCE FIGHTING

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 244, 16 October 1942, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING

NEW GU1NEA JUNGLE FLANK1NG PATROLS ACTIVE

P.A. Special

SYDNEY, Oct. 15.

Fierce fighting is taking place in the Owen Stanley Ranges. To-day's communique from General MacArthur's Headquarters reports that Australian forces are still in the area of Templeton's Crossing, about 12 miles from the enemy's forward base at Kokoda and 70 miles from Buna, their supply base on the coast of northern Papua. It appears that the enemy has prepared positions in depth and that he intends to make a stand in the heights of the ranges. But there is every indication that the Australians are making determined efforts to oust the Japanese from these posts in heavy jungle. The enemy vacated his forward positions in this area on Tuesday. As the Australian pressure has increased the Japanese seem to have repeated their Milne Bay defensive strategy of withdrawing to fresh positions, becoming progressively stronger as they have retreated. The Allied Headquarters spokesman said to-day: "Our fianking patrols have been active and suiccessful." But there was no elaboration of that statement. It appears, however, that the initiative lies strongly with the Australians.

The Japanese are stated to he using mortars, but no artillery has yet been employed by either side. On Wednesday Allied aircraft, including North American attack -bombers, raidecl Japanese north Papuan bases of Buna and Lae, but both raids were primarily for reconnaissance purposes. Light anti-aircraft fire was encountered at Lae. Our .planes also bombed unstated objectives in the Wairopi area. BACK FROM THE JUNGLE. A word picture indicative of the rigours of the present fighting in the New Guinea jungle is given by Mr Lewis Ser bing, the New Yor k H erald - Tribune's correspondent, of the dramatic arrival of 33 Australian soldiers at an advanced camp after 44 harrowing, heart-breaking days .in the Owen Stanley jungles. "The Australians," he says "were the remnants of a party of 50 who met the Japanese on the north side of the range late in August. Outflanked and outnumbered, they painfully traversed secret native trails to the south side, ultiniately reaching a river, where they boarded native rafts for an eight-hour trip to the camp where I watched them land. Sunken eyes looked at us from bearded faces as the Australians in tattered uniforms, painfully shifted from sitting positions, rising to reach outstretched hands. They seemed dazed as they stepped on to the bridge and wearily climbed the foank, clutching at personal odds and ends and equipment. The crowd parted as the Aussies crunched up the gravel. "Men who had not yet been in a fight looked in awe at those who had. Two ambulances received half a dozen wounded who had walked through the jungle with the rest. One limped from a piece of Japanese shrapnel in his back. Others had bandaged legs and arms. A colonel watching every move of these men commented that, despite the condition in which they arrived, they carried all their firearms, ammunition, and equipment. That is a great tribute to the leadership and discipline of these troops."