FIGHTING AT MILNE BAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 31 August 1942, Page 5

FIGHTING AT MILNE BAY

No Decided Results Yet

FURTHER ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS Sydney, Aug. 30.

Fighting of bitter intensity with no decided result continues at Milne Bay, south-east of New Guinea. Here, in the steamy, heated mud of the jungle, the Japanese are meeting their first serious organised resistance offered them since they began their southward drive from areas north of Australia. Under cover of a thick haze which reduced air visibility almost to nil, a Japanese cruiser and eight destroyers on Saturday night put into Milne Bay. Further enemy reinforcements may have been landed. The original enemy force in the area is now revealed to have come from three small transports. Although no estimate has been given of the numbers of this force it is believed to comprise trained guerrilla fighters who fought in assaults in Malaya, the Netherlands East Indies and earlier New Guinea landings. The arrival of eight enemy warships in the bay emphasises the enemy’s determination to secure his bridgehead, which is being hotly contested. Veteran A.I.F. troops back from overseas as well as militiamen are opposing the landed forces. They are supported by a small number of American service troops. Fighting is now in its fifth day. Air operations against the invader have been considerably hampered by adverse weather conditions.

The latest Allied headquarters communique makes no reference to attacks on enemy warships newly arrived at Milne Bay. but somewhere in the same sector our bombers attacked a single Japanese destroyer which is believed to have been damaged. The brilliant Allied fighter plane support for our troops in the area has been exclusively Australian pilots, including men who have won decorations for their combat records in Britain and the Middle East. One squadron has four D.F.C. winners. Allied bomber aircraft are manned by Americans. Despite bad weather Allied airmen during the past week have destroyed at least 33 Zeros in the New Guinea sector. Allied losses were two machines. WEATHER FACTOR Tropical rains have bogged jungle tracks in the area in which the Japanese dug in. Fighting is taking place in jungle fringing the narrow strip of beach where the Japanese landed last Wednesday. Their landing point was several miles from the head of the bay which extends 38 miles inland. The enemy speedily infiltrated through dense jungle, where their green uni- # forms made detection difficult. The first parties brought ashore mortars and machine-guns. The capture of Milne Bay area would give the Japanese an air base to protect a frontal seaborne attack on Port Moresby. Australian observers, however, feel that appraisal of future possibilities should be cautious. Should the weather further deteriorate our difficulties will be increased. Skirmishing continues in the Kokoda area of Papua, but all Japanese attempts to advance in this sector have been repulsed. PATROL CLASHES BULOLO AREA Patrol clashes were also reported for the first time in the Bulolo area, about 35 miles south-east of Lae and 150 miles north-west of Port Moresby. This indicates that Japanese forces have in. filtrated along the Markham river valley from their base at Lae. Bulolo has one of the most important airfields in New Guinea. An enemy aerodrome at Rabaul was the target of an attack by h ry bombers cf General Mac Arthur’s Command during the past 24 hours. Ten tons of bombs were dropped on runways, buildings and aircraft diseprsal areas. Six Zeros were inter, cepted by our planes. Two were destroyed and two probably destroyed. A reconnaissance plane in the same area shot down two more enemy fighters. Other Allied bombers attacked an enemy aerodrome at Buka, in the Northern Solomons. On Friday Allied medium bombers raided enemy positions at Milne Bay, but bad weather on Saturday did not permit continuation of the attacks.

To-day’s Allied headquarters communique also reported that a North Australia Allied air unit attacked an enemy cargo vessel near Amboina with unknown results. NO MAJOR ENGAGEMENT New Zealand reports published here that a major battle flared again in the Solomons is not confirmed either here or at Washington, though enemy forces have now withdrawn. Washington officials admit that large-scale enemy sea and air assault preparatory to an attempt to land substantial numbers of Japanese troops on the islands recently captured by the Allies must be expected at any moment. Light enemy forces successfully attacked by our air forces on Thursday may have been the spearhead for a new attack. While the latest successes are heartening and indicate that the Allied forces are now firmly entrenched on the islands they are taken by observers with caution. losses so far represent only a small portion of her sea strength. ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS expected The New York “Post” writer, commenting on the admonition of a high American Navy official against overplaying the Solomons victory, says our successes to date have been relatively minor with a showdown still to come The Japanese are certain to launch a counter-attack on a grand scale to attempt to recover the positions in the Tulagi area. So far enemy attacks have been more in the nature of reconnaissances i n force than full-scale efforts to defeat or dislodge the American forces. LONDON PRESS COMMENT “The Times” (London) says Japan cannot call a halt in the Pacific islands and hope to hold her ill-gotten gains. “So long as Australia is held and plied by the United Nations Japan will always be in danger. Japan must therefore endeavour to forestall a riposte by a successful invasion of the Australian continent before the United Nations can assemble enough force for its defence as a base for their own subsequent attack.” Whatever setbacks she may experience, the Milne Bay landing proves that Japan is inevitably committed to an advance against Australia. “The Times” adds.

Australian observers see no reasons for altered views of the South Pacific situation, which is regarded more hopefully than for many weeks past. It has always been recognised here that the major test still lies ahead, but Allied successes here in recent operations give reason for optimism. It is felt here that the changed tone of some British and American comment is due rather to the fact that these distant commentators are beginning to view the Pacific situation with belatedly increasing realism rather than that new grounds have arisen for pessimism

It is pointed out that the inevitable pending South Pacific showdown is songht by the Allies and not the Japanese. Our gains in preliminary operations give a solid basis for hopes of further successes in the arduous and costly struggle ahead—P.A. Special Australian Correspondent.

MORE ENEMY AIRCRAFT DESTROYED

Sydney, Aug. 30 Further heavy destruction of Japanese aircraft is reported in a supplementary communique just released by General Mac Arthur’s headquarters. At Buna, Papua, our medium bombers with strong fighter escort made a lowlevel attack on an enemy airfield. One Zero was demolished by a direct bomb hit and four more Zeros were destroyed on the ground by strafing. Other enemy planes were damaged by bomb blasts and three large fires were started in the dispersal area.—P.A.