HOLDING ON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 October 1942, Page 3

HOLDING ON

JAPANESE IN NEW GUINEA SOME FURTHER PROGRESS BY AUSTRALIANS. MUCH DEPENDENT ON EVENTS IN SOLOMONS. SYDNEY, October 20. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Tire Japanese manifestly have no intention of abandoning their New Guinea campaign. They are holding grimly to positions in the heights of the Owen Stanley Ranges at Bora Creek, the 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 being waged for the Solomons. In the event of an Allied victory there, it seems likely that Japan’s New Guinea campaign will wither away. Conversely, a Japanese victory would probably be a prelude to renewed offensive efforts against Port Moresby. Along the northern Papuan coast, it would appear that the enemy still has strong garrisons at his Lae and Salainaua 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 MacArthur's haedquarters 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.