AUSTRALIAN FORCES BEYOND EFOGI

Southland Times, Issue 24868, 7 October 1942, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN FORCES BEYOND EFOGI

SUMMIT OF TRACK OVER RANGE NEAR (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. Midnight) SYDNEY, October 6. The Australian forces in the Owen Stanley Range are stated to be six miles beyond Efogi, about 1000 feet below the summit of the track. Possession of the heights would open the way for a further rapid advance down the steep northern slope to the Kokoda area. It is .increasingly felt that the Japanese are withdrawing entirely from the ranges and that they will not make any stand until the flat country north of the mountains is reached. The haste with which they left the mountains is evident from the variety and quantity of abandoned equipment and supplies. The slowing down of the Australian advance in the past three days has been the natural outcome of supply difficulties which have greatly increased with each forward move. The Australians are determined not to repeat the Japanese error of outpacing their supply columns. Their Advance has now reached a point more than five days’ normal marching from the Port Moresby roadhead, from where native carriers bring forward the supplies. High praise is given the work of these natives, who carry supplies to the advancing troops and act as stretcherbearers on the return journey.

Increased Japanese fighter plane opposition, particularly in the Rabaul area, is reported in General Douglas MacArthur’s communique. This is not unexpected. Despite many indications that Japan’s air strength is Jagging, The ■Sydney Morning Herald military correspondent suggests that appearances may be deceptive and permit of other explanations. He says: “Any air position may change with astounding rapidity and Japan may be deliberately husbanding her available resources for some new and unexpected blow. Nevertheless, it is highly suggestive that Japanese air power in New Guinea in particular should have .dwindled so completely in the last few weeks. Although the Japanese may strengthen their air forces in New Britain and the Northern Solomons as well as m the islands north of Australia, it seems unlikely, in view of our command of the New Guinea skies, that they will risk planes in Northern Papua itself. The Buna air-field, after persistent and heavy Allied attacks, is stated to be serviceable only for very small numbers of aircraft, whose presence there would merely invite their own destruction. ALLIED AIR ACTIVITY Heavy Raid On Rabaul (8.0.W.) RUGBY, October 5. A communique issued by General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters today states: , _ “Australian ground troops nave covered Kagi and Myola and our advance is continuing in the gap in the Owen Stanley Range. At Buna two formations of Allied medium bombers struck at a small Japanese convoy of two destroyers and a transport located off the coast with unobserved results. Six to 12 Zeros intercepted, but three were shot down. One of our planes is m “Two formations of our heavy bombers and attack units bombed and strafed barges on the beach and machinegunned them. A supply dump was blown up and damage was done to the Japanese defences at Sananada. Heavy fire from the ground was encountered. There was no interception and all our planes returned. j j “At Rabaul a strong force of Allied heavy bombers attacked Japanese aerodromes, hitting runways and dispersal areas with 12 tons of bombs. Strong anti-aircraft fire was encountered over the target areas. There were approximately 20 enemy Zeros and m a running fight of 50 minutes four Japanese planes were shot down and others were damaged. One of our planes is missing.” ALLIES MAY ACT SOON Japanese Face Dilemma NEW YORK, October 4. Although neither the Japanese nor the United Nations have been able to build up offensive superiority in the South-west Pacific capable of decisive results, the situation is not likely to degenerate into a long drawn-out stalemate. This is the opinion of Major George Fielding Eliot, published in The New York Herald Tribune. Both sides, he says, have shown ability to fight and willingness to take risks. One or the other will advance again soon and the indications are that it will be our side. For example, General Douglas MacArthur has reported a torpedo plane attack on Japanese shipping in which three light cruisers and two merchantmen were probably hit. Either General MacArthur’s torpedo planes were land-based, which is a new departure, or else his small naval force has been reinforced by an accretion of strength, including an aircraft-carrier. The persistent air attacks on Japanese bases in the Western Solomons also seem to suggest a coming offensive. If the Allied forces in New Guinea can push the Japanese back north of the mountains and begin threatening Kokoda it will be a suitable moment for our forces in the Solomons to advance towards Bougainville and Santa Ysabel. The Japanese, then menaced at their outposts both in the South-west Pacific and in the Aleutians in the North Pacific, must decide where to concentrate and what to do. “If they withdraw from the Aleutians the Japanese must expect an immediate attack on their positions in the Kurile Islands, which will bring pressure against the northern islands of Japan itself. They must decide whether to attempt to strengthen themselves . in the Aleutians or to make a great effort to drive us from the Solomons. The Japanese must decide very quickly—before we seize more of their present bases and especially before we succeed in outflanking them by driving them from Eastern New Guinea. CHINESE IN INDIA Training With Modern Weapons LONDON, October 5. Several thousand Chinese troops are training near the eastern frontier of India in preparation for fighting their way back to China, says Reuter’s correspondent from somewhere in Eastern India. A United States Army officers are instructing the Chinese in the use of the most modem equipment, including the improved 75 millimetre howitzers, 50 millimetre mortars, heavy machineguns, Bren guns and tommy-guns. One unit while escaping from Burma was caught by the monsoon and was saved by its own endurance and about

170 tons of food dropped from Allied planes. The last big batch of Chinese troops from Burma arrived as recently as a fortnight