STIFF RESISTANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 November 1943, Page 4

STIFF RESISTANCE

OFFERED BY JAPANESE IN NEW GUINEA DEVELOPMENTS IN SOLOMONS. POSITION AT EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 12.5 pan.) SYDNEY, This Day. Australian troops, driving on Satelberg, in New Guinea, continue to make steady progress against stiff opposition. In all sectors the Japanese hold thoroughlyprepared defensive positions in which they have made full tactical use of the terrain. The Australians have had to withstand two fullscale enemy counter-attacks in the past 24 hours, but these sorties are reported to have been expensive for the Japanese. In the Northern Solomons, American patrols at Empress Augusta Bay, in Bougainville, told war correspondents in the area that the Japanese were not making the same “do or die” resistance as had characterised their defence at Guadalcanal. The close air and artillery support given to the American infantry had been remarkable. Planes had laid bombs within 150 yards of our advancing troops, while the artillery had put down a barrage only fifty yards ahead of our positions. As yet there had been no evidence of Japanese overland troop movements towards Empress Augusta Bay from Buin or Kahili, and it is improbable that the bad tracks will permit traffic in heavy reinforcements. Enemy barges, however, may move along the coast at night, although large-scale movement is seriously hampered by our air superiority. War correspondents say that American Seabees have again accomplished wonders in stevedoring and in building roads. Among the heroes of the campaign are dogs which arrived with the first landing troops and have been on patrol work ever since. The dogs are used as messengers, scouts and sen--1 tries.