JUNGLE BATTLE

Southland Times, Issue 24838, 2 September 1942, Page 5

JUNGLE BATTLE

“War Against Almost Invisible Army”

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 1. The first eye-witness account of the Allied victory at Milne Bay came from the only war correspondent on the spot, Walter Lucas, of The Daily Express, London. Mr Lucas was in the Milne Bay area when the enemy attack began and he stayed there until Sunday morning, when he returned to an Australian base. The first phase of the battle, he reports, consisted of an attack by a swarm of Zero fighters, which pounced down from low clouds on patrolling Kittyhawks. This sally cost the Japanese five planes. The same evening the Japanese landed on the north-east coast. Mr Lucas attached himself to a tough Australian patroL “The land units moved in complete silence,” he said, “with the _ troops manoeuvring stealthily for position in the dense jungle a few miles from the landing point. It was a bizarre battle. I reached Australia on Monday without having seen, a single Japanese. I heard much bombing and saw much air activity, but apart from artillery explosions and sounds of machine-gun fire I saw no signs of the land fighting.” JAPANESE SURPRISED Mr Lucas says the Japanese, evidently did not expect to meet with resistance. The first landing party, comprising about 500 troops, brought ashore medium tanks and 3-inch mortars. They started down the track towards Giligili, the soldiers chattering and laughing. They received a shock when about 400 yards down the track an Australian patrol opened fire. The tanks immediately switched on their searchlights, while the troops disappeared into the jungle on each side of the track. The party had native guides. On the second day our air force was very active. Bombers destroyed nine landing barges and set fire to supply dumps, while fighters strafed the tree-tops for snipers and dropped anti-personnel bombs. Three enemy tanks were destroyed in desultory jungle clashes. The enemy were compelled to . retire. Next night Japanese warships revisited the bay and ineffectually shelled the jungle for three to four hours. They departed after landing

further men and supplies. Meanwhile, the Japanese troops in the jungle came to life in patrol clashes. Advanced Australian units often found themselves cut off. The Japanese used the same old tricks in the jungle blackness in order to advance. Commands were shouted in perfect English and one Australian unit almost fell into a serious ambush. It was a war against an almost invisible army. Sharp bursts of machine-gun fire were the only sounds breaking long periods of silence, giving the whole battle a macabre quality. ENEMY DISAPPEARS One Japanese cruiser and eight destroyers were seen approaching through torrential rain on Saturday afternoon. During Saturday night no sound was heard except an occasional burst of gun-fire, blanketed and ghostly through the mists. Not a single light shone in our lines and smoking was forbidden. It was certain death to wander in the darkness. Dawn revealed the bay cleared of ships, while an early morning reconnaissance showed no enemy anywhere. According to Mr Lucas, the Australian casualties are not likely to be high. The enemy appeared to take the most of their dead and wounded with them. Probably the enemy cruiser and destroyers arrived to extricate the Japanese land forces from a position they regarded as untenable. DYING BOMB-AIMER COMPLETES JOB SYDNEY, September 1. 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 released his stick of bombs before he fell forward over his bombsight and died. The same shell wounded the navigator, but although suffer-' ing intense pain from his 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 and another was riddled with holes but managed to land with a flat tyre and useless brakes and wing-flaps. The young bomb-aimer who did his job at the point of death was Sergeant Earl W. Sydney, of Pennsylvania. The shell which killed him .also wounded Lieutenant David Hirsch, of New York.