RESISTANCE IN NEW GUINEA

Southland Times, Issue 24880, 21 October 1942, Page 5

RESISTANCE IN NEW GUINEA

J apanese Determined To Hold On (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 20.. The Japanese manifestly have no intention of abandoning their New Guinea campaign. They are holding grimly to their positions in the heights of the Owen Stanley Range at Eora Creek, a village about eight hours’ trail distance from Kokoda. On Monday they launched three counter-attacks, but were driven back with heavy losses. Allied units still forcing their way forward have to drive the enemy from a continuing series of foxholes and machine-gun nests. It appears that the Japanese are fighting a determined holding action and no doubt their subsequent moves will be largely dictated by the outcome of the battle now raging for the Solomons. In the event of an Allied victory there it seems likely that Japans New Guinea campaign will wither away. Conversely, a Japanese victory would probably be the prelude to renewed offensive efforts against Port Moresby. STRONG JAPANESE GARRISONS Along the Northern Papuan coast it would appear that the enemy still has strong garrisons at his Lae and Salamaua bases. Some spread of his occupation of this coastline is evident by reports of recent Allied air attacks on Japanese positions at the mouth of the Mambare river, between Buna and Salamaua. The latest communique from General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters reports no offensive air activity during the past 24 hours. It is believed, however, that there was at least one Allied bombing attack against Japanese concentrations on Monday night, but reports have not yet been received. There is little doubt that the raid was connected with the operations in the Solomons which are now moving towards a climax. Evidence that United States naval units are now within striking distance of the Japanese Fleet is found in a communique report of a bombardment of enemy positions on Guadalcanar. In a coast-to-coast broadcast the American news analyst, Drew Pearson, emphasizes the possibility that units of the American Navy, always desirous of luring the Japanese from their main bases, are lying in wait with large forces. He says that much speculation exists as to what is happening at the mysterious enemy base at Truk, in the Carolines. Only 1300 miles north of Guadalcanar, Truk has been stated to hold a garrison of 250,000 troops, according to this commentator. “ANOTHER PEARL HARBOUR” Pearson makes the startling charge that the early American naval losses in the Solomons had some of the aspects of another Pearl Harbour. He declares that when the three American heavy cruisers Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes and the Australian cruiser Canberra were sunk on August 9 the American ships were not ready for action, despite a warning from reconnaissance units that a powerful Japanese flotilla was steaming against them at 30 knots. “The American commander, who had under-estimated the speed of the enemy approach, was ashore conferring with the commander of the Marines when the attack was launched against the helpless American ships at 1500 yards’ range,” he says. “These losses gave the Japanese naval superiority in the irea.”