FIERCE FIGHTING IN OWEN STANLEYS

Southland Times, 16 October 1942, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING IN OWEN STANLEYS

AUSTRALIANS 12 MILES FROM KOKODA (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 15. Fierce fighting is taking place in the Owen Stanley Range. Today’s communique from General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters reports that the Australian forces are still in the area of Templeton’s Crossing, about 12 miles from the enemy’s forward base at Kokoda and 70 miles from Buna, their supply base on the coast of Northern Papua. It appears that the enemy have prepared positions in depth and that they intend to make a stand in the heights of the ranges. But there is every indication that the Australians are making determined efforts to oust the Japanese from these posts in the heavy jungle. The enemy vacated their forward positions in this area on Tuesday. As the Australian pressure has increased the Japanese seem to have repeated their Milne Bay defensive strategy of withdrawing to fresh positions becoming progressively stronger as they have retreated. The Allied headquarters spokesman said today: “Our flanking patrols have been active and successful,” but there was no elaboration of that statement. It appears, however, that the initiative lies strongly with the Australians. The Japanese are stated to be using mortars, but no artillery has yet been employed by either side.

On Wednesday Allied aircraft, including North American attack bombers, raided the Japanese North Papuan bases of Buna and Lae, but both raids were primarily for reconnaissance purposes. Light anti-aircraft fire was encountered at Lae. Our planes also bombed objectives which were not stated in the Wairopi area. A word picture indicative of the rigours of the present fighting in the New Guinea jungle is given by Lewis Sebring, The New York Herald Tribune correspondent, of the dramatic arrival of 33 Australian soldiers at an advanced camp after 44 harrowing, heart-break-ing days in the Owen Stanley jungles. PAINFUL JOURNEY “The Australians,” he says, “were the remnants of a party of 50 who met the Japanese on the north side of the range late in August. Outflanked and outnumbered, they painfully traversed secret native trails to the south side, ultimately reaching the river, where they boarded native rafts for an eighthour trip to the camp, where I watched them land. Sunken eyes looked at us from bearded faces as the Australians, in tattered uniforms, painfully shifted from their sitting positions, rising to reach for outstretched hands. They seemed dazed as they stepped on to the bridge and wearily climbed the bank, clutching at personal odds and ends and equipment. “The crowd parted as the Aussies crunched up the gravel. Men who had not yet been in the fight looked in awe at those who had. Two ambulances received half a dozen wounded who had walked through the jungle with the rest. One limped from a piece of Japanese shrapnel in his back and others had bandaged legs and arms. “A colonel watching every move of these men commented that despite the condition in which they arrived they carried all their firearms, ammunition and equipment. That is a great tribute to the leadership and discipline of these troops.” GUADALCANAR BATTLE American Transports Saved (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 14. The point-blank battle in the Guadalcanar channel on August 9 in which the Australian cruiser Canberra and three American cruisers were sunk was a constant explosion from beginning to end, according to Lieutenant-Com-mander Henry Heneberger, gunnery officer in the Quincy. “Our cruisers accomplished their mission,” said Lieutenant-Commander Heneberger. “The Japanese naval force did not reach the transports unloading Marines into the Solomons. By opening fire the American warships saved the transports. The Japanese probably sent a small force designed to get in fast, do the maximum damage to the transports and then scamper. The fight developed into a pitched battle. When the enemy was going by at high speed at a range of 2000 or 3000 yards we fired on them with everything we had. I do not know what damage we caused, but I saw searchlights going out, indicating hits.”

The New York Times Pearl Harbour correspondent says it is unaccountable that the Japanese forces failed to follow up the advantage they gained that terrible night and left the United States transports alone.

ADMIRAL CONFIDENT Visit To Guadalcanal' NEW YORK, October 14. Reporting on his recent flying visit to Guadalcanal’ and other Allied bases in the South Pacific, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific fleet, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, at a Press conference at Pearl Harbour, expressed the utmost confidence that the United States forces in the Solomons would consolidate their holdings and continue the Pacific offensive begun there. “I don’t mean that we have the Japanese on the run,” he said, ‘ but I have always been optimistic over the eventual, result of the war. After actually seeing the people on the spot and talking to them, I have reason to continue to be optimistic. Everywhere I found high morale and a fine spirit of co-operation. They are all working in high spirits from early morning, to late at night to improve their positions. I am satisfied in every way with what. I saw. The Japanese now realize that in the opposing American forces in that area, principally Marines, they are meeting people as tough as they are themselves. We are just as well equipped and well trained in jungle fighting as the Japanese. They are brave, resourceful, and experienced fighters, but now they are meeting people with the same characteristics and are suffering losses accordingly.” Admiral Nimitz declared that the continued sinkings of Japanese cargo ships were obviously affecting their Pacific supply problem. He pointed out that it was just as far from Tokyo to Guadalcanar as from Pearl Harbour to Guadalcanal-. It would be over-optim-istic to say that Japanese shipping had been strained, but they were losing a lot of ships. ’ United States submarines were doing their duty day and night.