OIVI AND GORARI

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1942, Page 3

OIVI AND GORARI

TAKEN BY AUSTRALIANS IN NEW GUINEA BEATEN JAPANESE FORCE CUT OFF. AMERICAN SUCCESSES IN OTHER AREAS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY. November 12. After seven days of fierce fighting over six miles of jungle between Oivi and Gorari. Australian troops have won a splendid victory. The Japanese force at Gorari has been destroyed. In three days 300 enemy dead have been counted in 'this area, and many more are known to have been wounded. Only three prisoners were taken in this sector. When enemy positions were finally occupied on Wednesday morning the survivors of the Japanese force had fled into the jungle. Australian losses are a mere fraction of the Japanese. Oivi village is also in Australian hands, the Japanese having been driven from their most southerly defences on the Kokoda-Buna trail. With the Allied forces astride the trail at Gorari and occupying most of the area northward toward Wairopi Bridge, the remnants of the beaten Japanese Oivi force are reported to be endeavouring to cut their way through the jungle in the rugged Hamaba Hills. Their complete annihilation as a fighting force is generally regarded as certain. The A.I.F. column is in pursuit of the beaten enemy. NEXT MAJOR OBJECTIVE. The next major Australian objective on the trail northward to Buna is Wairopi Bridge, still unserviceable from earlier Allied air attacks. The Japanese have been reported to be using a pontoon bridge near the original wire rope structure. It is reported that the Australians. have strong forces in the Oivi-Gorari area. The sole information concerning the American force in northern Papua is that it is still south-east of Buna. Allied aircraft' continue their close support of land operations. Havocs and Beaufighters relentlessly strafed the Buna trail on Wednesday, machinegunning hutments and starting fires. Barges at Sanananda Point were destroyed, while enemy troop concentrations were also attacked. An indication that the Japanese will continue their resistance to the last was the heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire encountered. FIGHTING IN SOLOMONS. The continuing nature of operations in the Solomons is emphasised by today’s communique from General MacArthur's headquarters. Flying Fortresses are reported to have made a night attack on the Japanese shore installations in the Buin Faisi area, with unobserved results. According to war correspondents Japanese shipping was also attacked. Off Lae, the Japanese northern New Guinea base, a Catalina flying-boat on reconnaissance bombed an enemy destroyer at dusk. The result could not be observed. Attacks on Allied aircraft continue to prove costly for the enemy Zero fighters. An Allied reconnaissance unit over Shortland Island in the Solomons shot down two of a formation of 10 which, attempted interception. Our aircraft suffered no damage. Near Salamaua another of our reconnaissance aircraft shot down two of four enemy intercepting fighters ATTACKS ON ALEUTIANS. A United States Navy Department communique states: "In the North Pacific on November 9 United States army planes destroyed seven float-type Zero planes in an attack on Holtz Bay, Attu Island, in the Aleutians. No opposition was encountered, and all our planes returned. United States army bombers attacked and damaged two enemy cargo vessels at Kiska. One of our planes was damaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire, but all returned. "In the South Pacific, on November 10, during the morning two Grumman Wildcat planes dived through a formation of 15 Zeros at an altitude of 27,000 feet near Guadalcanal. One Zero was shot down. "United States troops, supported by army planes, continued offensive operations against the enemy on the eastern and western flanks of our positions on Guadalcanal. During the late afternoon United States planes attacked a force of five enemy destroyers to the east of New Georgia. The results were not observed.” PACIFIC COMMANDS ADMIRAL KING DEFENDS ORGANISATION. NEW YORK, November 12. The Commander-in-Chief of the United States Navy. Admiral King, speaking in New York, defended the division of command in the Pacific. He states that Australia and the enemy approaches thereto, including the Netherlands East Indies .and the Philippines, constitute a single strategic entity in which land communications are primarily important. The central and northern Pacific constitute a separate area in which the fleet is predominantly important.