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Hot Pursuit of Japs From
Satelberg Area
Australian troops are hotly pursuing the Japanese
force which retreated from Satelberg area along trails
running back to Huon Gulf.
Dispatches received at General <i
MacArthur s Headquarters reveal 1
that our ground troops on Sunday |
afternoon were within a mile of 1
the enemy’s staging point at \
Bonga. „ •
Bonga is on the coast about five j
miles north of the Flnschhafen ,
air strip and three miles above
our original landing place.
Matilda tanks are rolling down
the coast trail in support of our
Infantry. As during the Satelberg
drive they are proving effective in
smashing through the enemy road
blocks. Japanese positions also are
being heavily shelled by 25 pound
ers and bombs from the air. j
The capture of Pino Hill on ,
Friday left- a bulge In our lines
along the'coastal trails but this
was straightened out on Sunday
after A .1F. infantry attacks.
The Japanese are reported to
be hastily constructing defences 1
round Bonga, similar to those 1
which took the Australians nine 1
days to smash through to Satel
HARD FIGHT AHEAD 1
Japanese can still muster a
considerable force and much hard
fighting may be ahead before the
Australians win control of the
coastal section.
The Japanese have two
choices. They can attempt to
escape by barge or stand and
fight, in the hope of being
reinforced.
Destruction by patrol torpedo
boats on Friday of two barge
loads of Japanese troops moving
ncross Vltiaz Strait from New
Britain towards Huon Peninsula
suggest that the enemy may have
plans to: push In reinforcements,
i The weight of Allied air attacks
over the week-end was directed
aganist Japanese.'positions along
Satelberg, Warla "and Bonga
trails; Mitchells unloaded 44 tons
of high.’- explosives on enemy
strongpolnts and strafed trails '
within enemy territory.
, At dusk on Sunday the Japan
ese sent over four to five bombers
to attack our positions but to
day’s communique reported no ;
damage.
Mitchells and Boston attack ;
planes struck nt Japanese supply
Installations along the coast be
tween Saldor and Slo, at the far ;
northern end of Huon Peninsula. ;
Many destructive flres were start- ;
ed. Liberators bombed Slo mission
and one of our fighter patrols de
stroyed two Japanese barges off
Mddtmg, further up the coast.
NO OPPOSITION
• For the second successive day.
our heavy bombers raiding enemy
airfields at Wewak and Borum 1
met with no enemy fighter op
position. This Is somewhat puzz
ling as recent air reconnaissance
had revealed the building up of
Japanese fighter strength at. We
wak and satellite aerodromes.
On . Sunday Liberators with
Thunderbolts as fighter cover unr
MosetT ' TXpldSlveS'' -on
Wewak and Borum, causing num
erous large explosions and fires in
dispersal and dump areas.
Japanese shipping north of
Babaul continues to provide
targets for our reconnaissance
aircraft.
. On Sunday night Liberators at
tacked two Japanese destroyers
and a 1000-ton freighter. One of
the destroyers was hit but damage
could not be accurately assessed.
SOLOMONS ACTION
In the ' Northern Solomons,
South. Pacific theatre, bombers
continued to pound . enemy bases
at Buka and Japanese ground
positions on the south-east flank
of the beachhead at Empress
Augusta Bay. Thirty-four tons of
bombs were dropped on Buka air
field and C8 tons on enemy ground
bxgets near Empress Augusta
Our fighter patrols attacked
Kieta and strafed six barges at
scattered points along the north
eastern coast of Bougainville Is
Official Communique
NORTII-WESTERN SECTOR,
Amblona
, AMBON: Our medium units at
night bombed the town starting
fires near the main pier nnd bar
racks.
NORTH-EASTERN SECTOR
New Britain
Our night reconnaissance units
bombed shipping north of Rabaul,
probably damaging a destroyer
north-east of Talasea.
New Guinea
WEWAK: Our escorted heavy
bombers,-continuing the attack on
Wewnk nnd Borum, dropped 84
tons of explosives causing num
erous large explosions and flres in
dispersal and supply dump areas.
There was no interception.
SIO: Our escorted medium and
attack planes bombed and strafed
enemy supply installations be
tween Sallum and Kalasa and
along the north coast from Bluch
er Point to Saldor, causing flres.
Our heavy reconnaissance units
bombed Slo mission. One of bur
fighter patrols sank two enemy
Barge's off Madang.
HUON -PENINSULA: Our
ground forces with tank support
are closing In on Bongo from the
south. Our medium units in direct
support bombed the enemy’s posi
tions on Warea trail - and near
Gusika, dropping a total of 44
tons of explosives. Four enemy
dive-bombers attacked at- dusk
without dnmage.
SOLOMONS
Bougainville
OREEN ISLAND: Our recon
naissance -units bombed and
strafed the island and attacked
small barges in Fenl group.
BUKA: Our escorted medium
units attacked the aerodrome with
34 tons of explosives, and -our
henvy units bombed Bonis, start
ing flres. Our medium units jylth
fighter escort bombed and strolled
at Carole Harbour. .V
EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY:
Our escorted torpedo and dive
bombers, followed later by our
medium units, attacked ground
targets at Mosigetto, Mawaraka
and Mucipana, dropping 68 tons
of bombs, causing heavy damage!
KIETA: Our fighter patrols
started fires, in the town and'
strafed six barges at scattered
Dolnts between Chaboi and Sal
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