POSSIBLE HITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 September 1942, Page 3

POSSIBLE HITS

ON JAPANESE BATTLESHIPS CREDITED TO AMERICAN FLYING FORTRESSES. NORTH-EAST OF SOLOMONS A WEEK AGO. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, September 20. It is announced from Washington that in the early hours of September 14 American Flying Fortresses attacked a Japanese battle fleet north-east of Tulagi. The fleet included battleships and cruisers. In spite cf a heavy curtain of antiaircraft fire, the bombers went in and scored two possible hits on two battleships. When last seen the Japanese ships were retiring to the north. It was on September 14 that Japanese troops made their unsuccessful attempt to recapture the aerodrome on Guadalcanal’ Island, but there is nothing official to connect the Japanese ships with that attempt. Since then there has been only minor activity on the island. In the last three days United States long-range planes have bombed Japanese bases in the northern Solomons.

POSITIONS HELD BY DEFENDERS OF PORT MORESBY. AUSTRALIAN TROOPS ANXIOUS TO ATTACK. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 20. Australian troops defending the track to Port Moresby have kept their ground for three days. They are holding the loribaiwa Ridge, a map distance of 24 miles from the end of the 32-mile all-weather road from Port Moresby into the foothills of the Owen Stanley Ranges. Though recent reports speak of “only minor fighting,” it is felt that patrol skirmishes may be the prelude to a major clash as soon as one side feels it has the measure of the other. The Australians are believed to be defending a steep rise out of the valley detween loribaiwa (pronounced Yoqribywa) and Naroo, a Japanese-occupied village four hours’ march to the north. Some observers feel that the slackening of enemy pressure may be the result of temporary supply difficulties consequent on the pounding of their base at Buna and their lines of communication by Allied aircraft, but in view of the fact that the Japanese have already overcome staggering supply difficulties to reach their present position, it would be unwise to stress this aspect. It has been suggested alternatively that the Japanese may not wish to continue their drive for a time and their present purpose is met by occupying the main strategic area of the ranges and making harassing attacks from the jungle. This engages a substantial number of Australian troops who might be needed to resist an offensive from another quarter. Thus, it will be no criterion of success for-the defenders merely to hold the Japanese in their present positions. An offensive to drive the enemy back over the mountains presents heart-breaking difficulties. However, the Australian troops are said to be anxious to launch such an attack.

JAPANESE FOREST TROOPS. The bitterness of the New Guinea land fighting is illustrated by the fact that neither on the Owen Stanley Mountains nor at Milne Bay have any Japanese troops been taken prisoner. At Milne Bay, scattered remnants of the enemy still fight till they are killed, refusing to surrender. These Japanese infiltration troops are “Tadori,’ a term meaning “Pioneers who wriggle through the forest.” A military correspondent states that the troops comprise mostly peasant conscripts, but they have had years of preparation and are “trained to endure, to travel fast and far to move quietly and be experts m field craft. They are stoics with a fanatical contempt for death.” That our troops have profited from recent lessons is indicated by their patrol success. On Wednesday, 40 casualties were inflicted when a party of Japanese was ambushed by an Australian patrol. The Australian troops suffered no casualties. Although the land fighting has abated, there has been no slackening of Allied air activity. In the present fighting, air attacks on Japanese forward positions are impracticable since the enemy is seldom exposed in the thick jungle. HAVOC AT ENEMY BASES. Our tactics have been to bomb and strafe Buna and Kokoda, destroying Japanese supplies. Reconnaissance revealed that 27 landing .barges were destroyed in Thursday’s attack on Buna. Originally 15 were claimed. Another Zero on Saturday brings the total of Japanese fighters destroyed at Buna to close cn 50. Buildings, stores and dumps along the supply route were heavily attacked on Friday and Saturday. The Japanese north New Guinea bases at Lae and Salamaua have also been heavily raided. On Saturday medium and attack bombers dropped eight tons of bombs on the aerodrome at Lae. There was no attempt at interception. An enemy cargo vessel was bombed and set on fire in northern New Guinea waters. The Japanese aerodrome at Buka m the Solomons was also raided, by our heavy bombers with undetermined results. . The sole Japanese air offensive activity was on Saturday night when there was a raid in the Port Moresby area by three planes. The bombing did no damage. . The possibility that Japan may be saving her planes for a “big show” in New Guinea has been admitted to war correspondents by the new Commander of the Allied Air Forces in the South-West Pacific, Major-Genera Kenny, but he said that the enemy had suffered recently substantial losses and the stock of Japanese planes in the area could well be running low.