DECISIVELY BEATEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1943, Page 3

DECISIVELY BEATEN

IN FURIOUS ATTEMPTS TO REACH COAST JAPANESE IN NORTHERN NEW GUINEA. AUSTRALIANS AND AMERICANS INFLICT HEAVY LOSSES. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 27. “The Japanese pressed their attacks with frenzied determination and incredible savagery in an effort to drive the Australians into the sea, and at times the issue hung in the balance. The official count of Japanese dead was more than 500. But as our perimeter has been pushed out more bodies have been discovered, and a conservative estimate of the total enemy casualties is more than 1500. Our casualties were almost unbelievably light.” The full vivid story of the recent Nov; Guinea land fighting round Finschhafen when the trapped Japan•ese forces for five days and nights endeavoured unsuccessfully to smash their way to the sea, is told by the “Sydney Morning Herald” war correspondent in a delayed dispatch. The main objective of the enemy drive appears to have been to secure a beachhead at Scarlet Beach, six miles north of Finschhafen. It was here that Australian troops landed on October 22 for their assault on Finschhafen. “Attack succeeded attack as the enemy probed every sector of the 1000 yards of the Australian defensive perimeter, flinging in hordes of screaming Japanese determined to take the beach at, all costs,” writes the correspondent. “The battle swayed back and forth in terrain covered with jungle so dense that men can pass undetected within three yards of each other in the tangled mass of undergrowth. At one stage the enemy came within 200 yards of his objective.” AN AMERICAN HERO. An American artilleryman manning a heavy machine-gun was the hero of the annihilation of Japanese reinforcements which attempted a landing at Scarlet Beach from three barges. Accurate fire from his machine-gun slaughtered practically every man from the first barge. Then a grenade thrown by a Japanese from the second barge blew off one of the artilleryman’s legs. He resisted his companions’ efforts to drag him clear, swung his gun, and continued firing till he collapsed from loss of blood. He died at his post. Of more than 60 Japanese who tried to land, only three managed to get into the jungle. Next day, the attack was taken up by fresh enemy forces who moved down from the Satelberg hills. The Japanese emerged from the jungle in mass formation, with bayonets fixed. “Our machine-guns opened fire on them, mowing the entire party down,” writes the correspondent. “Their bodies were dragged into the undergrowth. Three times the enemy employed the same mass tactics, and on three occasions •their bodies were dragged to cover. Three hundred Japanese were killed in these charges alone.”

Ultimately the Japanese were forced to abandon their attempt to take Scarlet Beach and withdrew their remnants back into the Satelberg hills. Still unofficially estimated to number some thousands, they now face a long overland trek through malaria country to possible evacuation points on the northern New Guinea coast. Their retreat is likely to develop into a rout as their supply position grows increasingly acute. NO GREAT CHANGE BUT ENEMY POSITION DETERIORATING. SYDNEY, October 27. The Japanese in the FinschhafenSatelberg area of New Guinea suffered further heavy losses when they launched four unsuccessful counter-attacks during the weekend. No vital change has occurred in the ground situation around Finschhafen, where the Japanese were last reported to be about 1000 yards west of Katika village, but war correspondents accept the latest reverses as evidence that the enemy position is deteriorating. The'Japanese made three of their attacks on Saturday and the fourth onSunday. They used artillery and some of their 75 millimetre guns were put cut of action by the Australians. Allied aircraft supporting our troops have bombed and strafed enemy positions. in the area. The destruction of Japanese barges and attacks on a number of small ships are reported by General MacArthur’s communique today. In the New Britain group, one of our reconnaissance bombers attacked a 300-ton cargo ship cast of Manus Island. Near Wewak. a 1000-ton cargo vessel was damaged by bombing and in .the nearby Vitiaz Strait two barges were destroyed by our light naval craft. Admiral Halsey’s aircraft in the Solomons attacked two small ships and several barges near Bougainville, and at Choiseaul four barges were set on fire.