FINAL STAGES'

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 November 1942, Page 3

FINAL STAGES'

OF BATTLE OF PAPUA JAPANESE THRUST BACK TO BEACHES. AUSTRALIAN & AMERICAN ATTACKS. LONDON, November 22. In New Guinea Australian and American troops arc driving relentlessly in on the Gona-Buna area on four fronts and the Japanese are being thrust back to the beaches. Gona is being attacked from three sides by American forces. Japanese naval forces, reported to comprise four destroyers, are manoeuvring between New Britain and New Guinea, a Sydney message states. It is evident that the enemy has not yet abandoned hope of relieving Lieut-enant-General Horrii’s besieged troops. Poor visibility has made it difficult to keep a close watch on the enemy warships. The Japanese have also thrown air forces into the battle. On Friday, when bad weather made it impossible .for Allied aircraft to operate from southern aerodromes Japanese Zero fighters harassed our attacking troops. But on Saturday the weather began to clear and Allied aircraft were again operating in close support of our land forces . They have given the Japanese no rest and throughout the day inflicted heavy damage and casualties. Two enemy fighters attempting interception were shot down. We lost no planes. Japanese air activity on Saturday was on a diminishing scale. With enemy troops becoming increasingly concentrated and consequently offering better targets for our strafing aircraft, the factor of air superiority must be of vital importance during these final stages of the battle for Papua. Our aircraft have made night raids on enemy aerodromes at Kavieng, New Ireland, and installations at Rabaul, New Britain, evidently to neutralise Japanese efforts to pro? vide air and naval assistance for Lieutenant-General Horrii’s force. Meanwhile, Australian and American troops are relentlessly pressing the Japanese into a shrinking triangle (for Gona to Buna is about 12 miles, while Soputa is six miles inland from Buna on the Giriwu River). At Soputa combined Allied forces are making their strongest attacks and war correspondents say the enemy resistance here begins to show signs of crumbling. The Japanese .however, arc in wellprepared positions, including light artillery emplacements. Allied troops arc using mortars and machine-guns as their heaviest weapons. No details of the land battle have yet been received, but it is clear that the Allied strategy is to keep driving against the Japanese, giving them no opportunity for rest or reorganisation. To dislodge the determined enemy from foxholes, gunpits and trenches may be costly-—but if improving weather conditions permit full exploitation of our air superiority the Papuan phase of our New Guinea campaign should be pressed to a swift conclusion.