HOLDING ON IN OWEN STANLEYS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 248, 21 October 1942, Page 5

HOLDING ON IN OWEN STANLEYS

AWAITING EVENTS IN SOLOMONS U.S. NAVAL FORCES ON THE SCENE

P.A. Special.

SYDNEY, Oct. 20.

The Japanese manifestly have no intention of abandoning their New Guinea campaign. They are holding grimly to their positions in the heights of the Qwen. Stanley Range at Ecra Creek village, about eight hours trail distance from Kokoda. On Monday they launched three counter-attacks but were driven back with heavy losses. Allied units, still forcing their way forward, have to drive tthe enemy from a continuing series of foxholes and machine-gun nests. It appear s that the Japanese are fightiing a determined holding action, and no doubt their subsequent moves will be largely dicta'ted by thsJ outcome of the battle now waging for the Solomons. In the evenlt of an Allied victory there it seems likely that Japan's New Guineai campaign will wither away. Conversely, a Japanese victory wouldi probably be the prelude to renewed offensive efforts against Pori 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 this 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 MYSTERY OF TRUK. The latest communique from General MacArthur's Headquarters reports no offensive air activity during the past 24 hours. It 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 which are now moving towards a climax. Evidence that IJnited States naval units are now within striking distance of the Japanese fleet is found in a communique report of a bombard- . ment of enemy positions on Guadalcanar. In a coast-to-coast broadcast, the American news anialyst, Mr Drew Pearson, emphasises the possibility that units of the American Navy, always desirous of luring the Japanese from their main bases, are lying in wait with large forces. He says that much spebulation exists as to what is happening at the mysterious enemy base at Truk, in the Carolines. Only 1300 miles north of Guadalcanar, Truk has been stated to hold a garrison of a quarter of a million troops, according to this commentator. Mr Pearson makes the startling charge that early American naval losses in the Solomons had some of __ _

the aspects of another Pearl Hgrbour. He declares that when the three American heavy cruisers, Astoria, Quincy, Vineennes, and the Australian cruiser Canberra were sunk on August 9, the American ships were not ready for action, despite a warning from reconnaissance units that a pov/erful Japanese fiotilla was steaming against them at 30 knots. "The American commander, who had under-estimated the speed of the enemy approach, was ashore conferring with the commander of the Marines when the attack was launched against the helpless American ships at 1500 yards range, ' the commentator declares. "These Allied losses gave the Japanese naval superiority in the area."