FIERCE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1943, Page 3

FIERCE FIGHTING

ON NEW GUINEA MOUNTAIN OUTNUMBERED AUSTRALIANS HOLD THEIR OWN. AIR BATTERING OF ENEMY BASES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, October 17. Hemmed in on three sides of a rugged mountain top, an Australian force last Thursday killed nearly 100 Japanese in one of the fiercest skirmishes of the Ramu campaign in north-eastern New Guinea. The Australians were outnumbered, and at the end of the day when the Japanese were finally repulsed their carefully-rationed ammunition was almost exhausted. Grenade duels were fought at 20 yards range.

The enemy casualties, apart from those killed, arc believed to have been heavy. The Japanese carried off their wounded when they withdrew at night to the 6000 feet Finistere range, which runs parallel to the New Guinea coast. The Japanese continue to fight determined rearguard actions as they retreat down the Ramu Valley toward Madang.

Allied fighters in direct support of ground forces have strafed the Japanese forward area. Continuing their attacks on the enemy's coastal supply route our medium bombers dropped 35 tons of bombs and thoroughly strafed enemy-occupied villages from Sio to Saidor. Allied air forces in the SouthWest Pacific have followed up their smashing attack on Rabaul by smallcrscale assaults on other enemy airfields and bases throughout the South-West Pacific area. General MacArthur’s communique on Saturday reported that bombing and strafing attacks ■ were made at 12 points from New Ireland to Timor, while today’s communique reports raids on five widely dispersed objectives.