TRAPPED JAPANESE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 1 September 1942, Page 2

TRAPPED JAPANESE

SYSTEMATIC EXTERMINATION NO SURRENDER EXPECTED MILNE BAY VICTORY (Rec. 1.35) Sydney, This Day. The Japanese forces trapped in a corner of the northern peninsula in Milne Bay are being systematically exterminated by Australian troops. High officers do not expect the surrender of the remaining enemy troops and believe they will offer bitter resistance to the last. Commentators express surprise at the evacuation of the Japanese forces, presumably by enemy warships which left the bay on Sunday. It is pointed out that invariably the Japanese military policy is to fight to the death against any odds in order to gain their objective.

Some observers connect the disappearance of the warships with the battle for the Solomons and believe the ships may have joined a great enemy naval concentration which will make a bid to shatter the Allied fleet and land re-occupying forces on the six islands now held by the Americans.

However, whatever the reason for the Japanese departure from Milne Bay, an important strategic gain as well as a tremendous moral victory have been made by our forces.

Mention of the capture of tanks was the first official revelation that the Japanese had landed armoured fighting vehicles in New Guinea. The use of tanks emphasises that the enemy move on Milne Bay was intended to be a major holding operation.

The considerable part played by Allied Air Forces in the Milne Bay operations is now being revealed. Australian troops who on Sunday trudged through heavy mud and dense jungle to Kobule mission, where the enemy made the initial landing on Wednesday, found only one live Japanese. He was seriously wounded and has since died. Scores of dead Japanese were found by our advancing troops. This is evidence of the success of the continued strafing by Kittyhawks flown by Australian pilots. Australian land forces also found abandoned tanks which were used by the Japanese for night fighting. They were protected bv enemy machine-gunners who approach ed the Australians’ prepared position? with each tank, then the tanks turned glaring lights on our troops while the machine-guns opened fire at short range. SATISFACTION IN AUSTRALIA r' The Milne Bay victory has been described as “sending a fierce surge of joy throughout Australia.” The “Sydney Herald” says: “Transcending even relief at the removal of the new enem ythreat to Port Moresby and thus to the mainland is a feeling of stern satisfaction that the measure which the Japanese, arrogant and pitiless in their conquests, have meted to a succession of unprepared opponents has at last been dealt out to one of their landing forces in New Guinea.”

It is regarded as certain that the Japanese will throw new forces into the. New Guinea struggle. Many observers suggest that the present fighting in New Guinea and the Solomons throws into bold relief the need for a unified command in tlie South-West Pacific.

Byron Darnton, the “New York Times” war correspondent, emphasises the weaknesses of a system under which General MacArthur and Vice-Admiral Ghormley operate as commanders in adjacent areas. “I do not say whether it should be General MacArthur or Vice-Admiral Ghormley who receives the unified command. but somebody should,” says Mr Darnton. —Special P.A. Australian Correspondent.

BOMB-AIMER MORTALLY WOUNDED

STICK OF BOMBS RELEASED

OPERATIONS OVER MILNE BAY (Ree. 1.50 p.m.) Sydney, This Day. Mortally wounded by shrapnel from an anti-aircraft shell which struck a Flying Fortress during the bombing of enemy ships in Milne Bay, a young bomb-aimer on his first operational flight refeased his stick of bombs before he fell forward over his bomb sight and died. The same shell wounded the navigator, but although suffering intense pain from wounds, he was able to guide the aircraft on the flight back to its base. The flight to which the machine belonged lost one machine, which received a direct hit by a shell. Another was riddled with holes, but managed to land with a flat tyre and useless brakes and windflaps. The young bomb-aimer who did his job at the point of death was Sergeant Earl W. Sydner, of Pennsylvania The shell which killed him also wounded Lieutenant David Hirsch, of New York. Anti-aircraft fire from enemy ships was described as terrific. —P.A.