STRATEGIC HEIGHTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 August 1943, Page 3

STRATEGIC HEIGHTS

IN SALAMAUA AREA TAKEN BY ALLIED FORCES. BOMBARDMENT OF ENEMY AIRFIELD. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 23. American and Australian troops are steadily closing in against Salamaua, the main Japanese forward base in the Huon Gulf area of New Guinea, and the gateway to the larger enemy base of Lae. Australian forces which continue to press the retreating enemy, yesterday captured a strategic hill dominating Salamaua aerodrome. It is in. this area that the Japanese are expected to make their final stand within their customary pill-box and foxhole defences. Allied artillery is shelling the airfield. Silmultaneously with the newest Australian gain, American forces seized a strategic knoll in advance of Roosevelt Ridge and about throe miles from Salamaua. The danger of being squeezed between the Australian and American advances forced the Japanese withdrawal. Shrinking of the enemy’s perimeter defences under the impact of the co-ordinated Allied drives has resulted in a considerable area south of the Francisco River falling into our hands. The enemy may defend the natural line of the Francisco River and low malarial swamps surrounding the land approaches to the Salamaua isthmus. Allied pilots again co-operated in softening the enemy defences by bombing Logui, a village adjacent to Salamaua. Their efforts to hold this base have already cost the Japanese many thousands of men. By comparison, the Allied losses have been light. Our aircraft have made almost daily attacks on the area since early July and our artillery batteries established along the coast and further inland have been used to excellent harassing effect. WEAK RESISTANCE TO DAYLIGHT AIR ATTACK. ON CELEBES. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 23. The Liberator bombers which made Saturday’s daring daylight attack on the Japanes-held nickel mining (Centre of Fomelaa, in the Celebes, Dutch East Indies, encountered practically no opposition. For more than an hour they bombed and strafed ground installations and shipping. A highlight of the raid was the destruction of a large enemy air transport which was coming in to land. The raid entailed a flight of more than 1700 miles over strong Japanese bases in the Arafura and Banda Seas. Pomelaa is on the Gulf of Bone, across the eastern Celebes Peninsula from .Kendari. Before the war, its nickel production was 6000 tons a year. The Japanese bought the entire products of the field, which ig the main one in the Celebes. It is probably the only field in the area now being worked by the Japanese.