LAND THRUST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 August 1942, Page 3

LAND THRUST

RESUMED BY JAPANESE IN PAPUA THREAT TO PORT MORESBY. AIR ATTACKS ON ENEMY SHIPPING. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, August 16. The Japanese, strongly reinforced, and equipped with mortars and automatic weapons, have resumed their land thrust in Papua towards Port Moresby. They are making strong attacks on the Australian advanced positions at Kokoda, sixty miles from Port Moresby.

The enemy is clearly endeavouring to recover the initiative he lost following the successful harassing actions by the Australians a week ago. One report says that the Japanese suffered more than 150 casualties in the series of swift thrusts by our troops. “The numbers that the Japanese are now using about Kokoda indicate that the landing at Buna was no mere opportunists’ excursion,” writes a war correspondent from an operational base. The present skirmishing is likely to prove the forerunner of large scale actions for the possession of the passes through the Owen Stanley Range. The recent fighting has been in broken country near Kokoda, and the enemy has still to face the great natural obstacle barring his way to Port Moresby. Here the ground favours the defenders. i Following the enemy landings at Buna the Allied headquarters spokesman stated that the defence of Port Moresby from land attack would be made along the line of the Owen Stanley Range. That line has just been reached.

Coupled with the renewed enemy land activity in Papua there has been growing evidence of the increased Japanese shipping movements to the north of Australia. For five successive days Allied Flying Fortresses and medium. bombers have hammered enemyshipping either on the move or in occupied harbours. While the outcome of this air and sea duel is not yet clear, some observers see in these shipping movements the possibility of a new aggressive move being made by the enemy to relieve the strain on their positions in the Solomon Islands. Significance is attached to the sudden transfer of Allied bombing raids from the key enemy airfields to the shipping in the harbours and sea lanes.

However, the observers offer no opinions on the likely destination of these Japanese transports with their accompanying warships.