Macabre Battle Of Milne Bay Fought In Jungle Silence

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1942, Page 3

Macabre Battle Of Milne Bay Fought In Jungle Silence

Laughing Japanese landed and walked straight into trap. Rec. 11.30 p.m. Sydney, Sept. 1. eyewitness account of the Allied victory at Milne Bay came from the only war correspondent on the spot, Walter Lucas, of the London Daily Express. Mr. Lucas was in the Milne Bay area when the enemy attack began. 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 then attached himself to a tough Australian patrol.

"The land units m'oved in complete silence with troops manoeuvring stealthily for position in dense jungle a few miles from the landing point," he says. "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 land fighting." Mr. Lucas says the Japanese evidenUy did not expect to meet with resistance. The first landing party, comprising about 500 troops, brought ashore medium tanks and three-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 and bombers destroyed nine landing barges and set fire to supply dumps while fighters strafed the treetops for snipers and dropped anti-per-sonnel bombs. Three enemy tanks were destroyed in desultory jungle clashes. The enemy was compelled to retire the next night.

Shelled From the Sea. "Japanese warships re-visited the bay and ineffectually shelled the jungle for three or four hours and departed after landing further men and supplies. "Meanwhile, the Japanese troops in the jungle came to life in patrol clashes and 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 war against an almost invisible army. Short, sharp bursts oi machine-gun fire were the only sounds breaking long periods of silence, giving the whole battle a macabre quality. "One Japanese cruiser and eight destroyers were seen approaching through torrential rain on Saturday afternoon. During Saturday night no sound was heard except the occasional burst of gunfire, blanketed and ghostly through the mist. Not a single light shone in our lines and smokipg was forbidden. It Was certain death to wander iri the darkness. Dawn revealed the bay cleared of ships while 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 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. Fuzzling Dcparture of Ships..Commentators express surprise at the evacuation of Japanese forces, presumably by enemy warships which left the bay on Sunday. It is pointed out that invariably Japanese military policy is to fight to the death against any odds in order to gain the objective. Some observcrs cormect the disappearance of thewarshijis 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 reoccupying forces on the six islands now held by the Americans. However, whatever the reason for the Japanese departure Milne Bay is an important strategic gain. As well a tremendous moral victory has been made by our forces. Mention of the capture of tanks is the first official revelation that the Japanese had landed armoured fighting vehicles in New Guinea. The use of tanks emphasises that the enemy move at Milne Bay was intended to be a major holding operation. The considerable part played by the 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 his 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 fiown

by Australian pilots. The Australian land forces dlso found abandoned tanks which were used by the Japanese for night fighting. They protected enemy machine-gunners ' who approached the Australians* prepared positions with each tank. Then the tanks "turned their glaring lights on our troops while the ma-chine-guns opened fire at . short range. The Milne Bay victory has been described as "sending a fierce surge of joy throughout Australia." The Sydney Morning Herald says: "Transcending even the relief at the removal of a new enemy threat' to Port Moresby aiid ' thus to the mainland is the leeling of stern satisf action that the measure which the Japanese, arrogant and pitiless in their con^uests, 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 Gyinea struggle. Mariy observers suggest that the present fighting in New Guinea and the Solomons throws into bold relief the need for a unified command in the South-west Pacific. Byron Darnton, New York Times war correspondent, emphasises the weakness of the system urider which General MscArthur and Vice- Admiral, Ghormley operate as commanders in adjacent areas. "I - do not say whether it should be General MacArthur or Admiral Ghormley who receives the unified comimand, but somebody should," says Mr. Darnton.