DIFFICULT TASK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 August 1943, Page 4

DIFFICULT TASK

FACING ALLIED FORCES IN NEW GUINEA

ENEMY POSITIONS STRONG & WELL PREPARED.

REINFORCEMENTS APPARENTLY

BROUGHT IN.

(Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day.

The capture of a small but tactically important knoll on the Roosevelt Ridge has brought American troops nearer Salamaua. The American and Australian land forces advancing against this strategic Japanese base are receiving splendid air and artillery support. Bomb loads delivered on the area in July totalled more than 1,000 tons. During the first fortnight in August 770 tons of bombs have been dropped on tiie comparatively few worth while targets remaining. Our relentless aerial attacks have disrupted supply movement between the port and the Japanese inland defences, and have bitten deeply into the enemy's supply reserves.

An Australian war correspondent in the forward area gives three reasons for the slowness of the Allied progress towards Salamaua: Firstly, the difficult jungle conditions; secondly, the dominating positions occupied by the Japanese; thirdly, the bitterness of the enemy’s resistance and his ability to reinforce and rest his troops better. The Japanese defensive positions have been -prepared with great thoroughness. In giving direct support to the ground forces, Allied airmen must take care to avoid hitting our own men. In some parts only a hundred yards separate our lines from the enemy’s. The Japanese apparently have been able to bring reinforcements into the area. Some of these are seasoned soldiers, well fed, well equipped and full of fight. They have probably been moved down the new coast road from Madang. Front line fighting in this sector is a battle of wits between individuals, and a series of vicious skirmishes between comparatively small groups of men. The Japanese have introduced some new tricks tothis type of warfare. Often they throw mud balls and sticks into our forward gunposts at night to l imitate the sound of shrapnel. The idea seems to be to draw Allied fire and thus make a-tar-get for attack. At first our men believed they were being attacked in force. Americans on patrol on a recent night saw a swarm of dancing fireflies approaching them. When the “fireflies” were almost on top of them, the Americans opened fire, and a party of Japanese broke and fled. They had been carrying phosphorescent jungle fungus on the tips of sticks, in the hope of deluding our troops.