ALLIED ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1942, Page 3

ALLIED ATTACK

ON ISLAND IN GILBERT GROUP REPORTED BY JAPANESE. AMERICAN COMMENT RESERVED. LONDON, August 21. United States forces are reported to be already striking hard beyond the islands re- ■ cently wrested from the Japanese. Tokio speaks of a fresh Allied attack on an island at the tip of the British Gilbert group. In Washington it is stated that any comment on the Japanese communique will come from Admiral Nimitz, Com-mander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet. RAIDS ON TIMOR ’ JAPANESE CONCENTRATION BOMBED. SYDNEY, August 21. The Allied air force is maintaining pressure against Timor, where our troops are reported to be still resisting the enemy. Medium bombers on Thursday struck at Maobisse, practically in the centre of the island, and described in today’s Allied headquarters communique as “an area occupied by enemy troops.” Bombs were dropped in the target area, resulting in large explosions, indicating that fuel or ammunition dumps had been hit. Besides dropping high explosives and incendiaries, the Allied planes machine-gunned buildings and road transport. There has been no combat activity in the Kokoda sector in Papua recently. The headquarters spokesman described the present inactivity as “merely a lull.” The opposing forces are still approximately the same strength as last reported. The fighting at Kokoda has so far not justified classification as a major engagement. AUSTRALIA AS BASE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S DESIRE. (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) WASHINGTON, August 21. President Roosevelt, at a Press conference, said he would like to have a million men in Australia, plus all the Australians there, but, lie added, “we cannot get them there.”