NEW LANDING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 September 1943, Page 3

NEW LANDING

ON HUON PENINSULA NEAR ENEMY BASE OF FINSCHHAFEN BOMBERS POUND JAPANESE COMMUNICATIONS. FREIGHTER SUNK & ANOTHER SET ON FIRE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, September 23. The pbint at which Australian troops with naval and air support have made their latest landing, is six miles north of the Japanese base at Finschhai'en, on the Huon Peninsula in New Guinea. It is about GO miles from Lae. The landing was made at dawn on Tuesday on a sandy beach south of the Song River, where a strong beachhead has been established. Japanese troops are reported to have opposed the landing, but no details are yet available. Today’s communique fjrom General l MacArthur announcing the landing reports an attempted attack on the previous evening by enemy bombers on Allied shipping off Hopoi, on the Huon Gulf. This was probably part of the convoy bound for Finschhafen. Allied fighters dived on the enemy formation, destroying four bombers and probably a fifth, and five of the escorting fighters. One of our planes was lost. The capture of Finschhafen would strengthen Allied control of the vital Vitiaz Strait between the Huon Peninsula and the southern tip of New Britain. The importance of Finschhafen lies mainly in its deep water harbour. With a coastal belt of flat grassland, the whole area is reported to be easy to traverse. The airfield two miles north of Finshhafen was last, reported to be unserviceable. It had been used by the Japanese in the past though never extensively. The communique also reports that the Australian air-borne troops who captured Kaiapit, in the upper Markham Valley in New Guinea, routed an attack by a Japanese patrol 200 strong. After losing IgO killed, the remainder of the enemy force fled. Japanese communications south of their base at Madang, on the northeast coast of New Guinea, were again heavily attacked by General MacArthur's escorted bombers, which encountered no enemy air opposition. Forty-six bombing and strafing passes were carried out, and four more bridges were destroyed or seriously damaged. • A jetty was wrecked and bivouacs and supply installations were heavily bombed and strafed. Allied heavy bombers without loss blasted aerodrome dispersal areas at Cape Gloucester, on the western end of New Britain. A bomb load of 66 tens was well concentrated on the target. On the south coast of New Britain, Gasmata airfield was raided at dawn by medium and attack bombers. Allied heavy bombers on reconnaissance over the Bismarck Sea sank a 1500-ton freighter north, of Garove Island. In the Solomons sea a 5000-ton enemy merchantman was bombed and set on fire. MOPPED UP JAPANESE ON ARUNDEL ISLAND. SYDNEY, September 23. United States ground forces in the Solomons have destroyed the remaining Japanese forces on the north shores of Arundel Island, between Kolombangara and New Georgia. Enemy troops on the nearby Sakakarasa Island have also been mopped up. Artillery on Kolombangara Island heavily shelled American positions on Arundel, causing s light casualties. Allied positions on Guadalcanal were again raided by the Japanese Air Force. Six planes made bombing and strafing attacks, causing minor damage. During recent operations, a transport cargo' ship, the John Penn, after landing passengers and cargo at forward destinations, was bombed and sunk by the enemy while returning to Guadalcanal. Allied light naval craft on night patrol off Vella Lavella Island shot down an attacking enemy float-plane.