JAPANESE LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1943, Page 3

JAPANESE LOSSES

AND DISLOCATION OF GRIP ON NEW GUINEA RESULTS OF THE CAPTURE OF FINSCHHAFEN. EMPHASISED BY GENERAL MACARTHUR. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright SYDNEY, October 4. "The capture of Finschhafen ensures our complete control of the Huon Gulf,” says today’s communique from General MacArthur. "A simultaneous air and ground movement of 200 milps up the Markham Valley through the centre of inland New Guinea gives us control of the entire Huon Peninsula. It has outflanked and contained all the enemy’s centres between Finschhafen and Madang and rendered practically useless his numerous positions and installations along the coast. “The speed of this double envelopment apparently caught the enemy, completely by surprise and has resulted not only in the dislocation of his grip on British New Guinea, but has caused him large losses, with no compensating damage inflicted on our own forces. Our own forces’ losses have been extraordinarily light. "Our forces have always been less than those available to the enemy, but the element of surprise, based on the closely co-ordinated action of the three elements of ground, sea and air has prevented him from concentrating at critical points. Adverse weather has hindered all air operations in the area.” The comm mique also reports that Allied fight. shot down two enemy bombers ovi -w Britain. In raids on New Britian • uy our bombers, enemy positions at Gasmata, Garove Island and Rooke Island were pounded and two villages were strafed. In daylight attack on Amboina Island, Allied heavy bombers dropped many tons of explosives on the town of Ambon, causing heavy damage and starting large fires. ADMIRABLY PLANNED BLOW THAT COMPLETELY SURPRISED ENEMY. SYDNEY, October 4. “The campaign leading to the capture of Finschhafen will become an examplar for all military students,” said General Mac Arthur’s spokesman, BrigadierGeneral Charles A. Willoughby, at a Press conference. For anticipation, planning and split-second timing, it will be remembered long after the war as one of the greatest strategic victories.” The enemy, he said, had been lured into showing his strength at Lae while the simultaneous moves on either flank at Salamaua and Finschhafen had taken him completely by surprise. There was good reason to be proud of our achievements in the South-West Pacific area, because of the limited resources available to us.

“We still do not have enough,” he '"said. “The Japanese Empire has more than 70 divisions of troops and great industrial resources. It is sucking its newly-won territorities of fuel, rubber, tin and many other things we need, and it is in a position to go on doing this unhindered while it retains control of its inner sea, which is beyond .the range of bombers from this area. The Japanese are still able to reinforce New Guinea with any number of divisions they like, and we must always keep that in mind.” HEAVY TOLL TAKEN - OF ENEMY BARGES & SHIPS. SYDNEY, October 4. More than 1000 Japanese barges were sunk or damaged last month by Admiral Halsey’s light warships and aircraft Most of the barges were destroyed in the waters between Choiseul and Kolombangara Islands, in the Solomons group.

“We are having reasonable success in breaking up barge traffic,” said a South Pacific command spokesman. “These barges probably are engaged in evacuatiog troops from Kolombangara and supplying the holding force which the enemy evidentaly intends to keep there. Barge warfare greatly increased in the last week in September. In seven days, we accounted for more than 50.” A R.A.A.F. Beaufighter unit operating in the South-West Pacific during the past year has sunk or damaged 299 small ships and barges, destroyed or damaged 49 aircraft, and wiped out many supply dumps. Its destruction of shipping reached its peak last month with 45 barges and small ships destroyed and 51 craft of various types damaged. KILLED IN NEW GUINEA AUSTRALIAN BRIGADIER. MELBOURNE, October 4. Brigadier R. B. Sutherland, Melbourne, has been killed in New Guinea. He served in France in the last war with the Engineers, and joined the Staff Corps when he returned to Australia In this war, he served with the A. I. F. in the Middle East before going to' New Guinea. He was 45 years of age. Brigadier Sutherland was killed in a plane accident. With LieutenantGeneral Sir Edmund Herring, com-mander-in-hief of the Allied land forces in New Guinea, he was in a plane which was about to take off when the landing gear collapsed. Fragments of the propeller smashed into the cabin and killed Brigadier Sutherland, but General Herring was uninjured.