Evening star., 1942-03-19
German Missionaries Reported
Leading Japs Across New Guinea;
Allied Planes Blast Island Bases
Enemy Land Force
Declared Movino
On Port Moresby
BY the Associated Press.

MELBOURNE, MarCn l9.-lne
battle about AuStralia'S northern
tip broke into new fury today
with Allied air attacks on the
japanese at several island points,
japanese raids on Northern Aus
tralia and the Solomon Islands,
and sensational reports that Ger
man missionaries are leading an
overland japanese invasion in
New Guinea.
Messages from Port MOreSby. on
Southern New Guinea, said the Ger
man missionaries and their Nazi-
fed native pupils were guiding the
japanese in a drive from the north
coast.
The Germans were declared to
have maintained secret radio trans
rnitters and a factory for making
swastika regalia and flags at their
missions around Finschhafen and
Alexishafen.
Australian authorities recently
smashed one transmitter and seized
more than 400 Nazi flags
Northeast New Guinea was Ger
man colony before the World War.
A 1899 census showed 473 Germans
there.
(Radio stations in Unoccupied
France continued today to report
huge japanese invasion forces
moving toward western and east
ern Australia in a gitantic naval
and air pincers. The Lyons radio
said two powerful japanese in
vasion fleets are off the Australian
coast" according to reliable
sources.
c'They include hundreds of
transport ships Their protection
is assured by considerable naval
forces including aircraft car
riers."
(The broadcast added that the
first of these fleets is reported
to have left Java and after hav-
ing crossed the Timor Sea is
threatening the west coast of
Australia.)
March West From Lac.
The missionaries were said to be
leading the japanese westward from
Lac. on the east coast, through the
Markham Valley. 1t was believed
this was intended to take over a
system of good airports in the valley,
although it might develop into
southwark swing toward Port
MoreSby.
The japanese launched their first
air attack, repeatedly without dam
age, on Cape York across Torres
Strait from Port Moresby. struck
again al Darwin. and bombed Tulagi,
Florida Island, in the Solomons.
Meanwhile Allied aircraft at
tackled Koepang, Dutch Timor, and
damaged heavy japanese cruiser
at Rabaul, New Britain Island, to
add to the score of % ships sunk
or damaged of New Guinea.
The new japanese bombing blows
today against Port Moresby and the
mainland city of Darwin were Off
cially minimized.
"a Berlin radio report quoted
by the British Exchange Tele-
graph agency, said the Japanese
advancing overland in New
Guinea had occupied about 80 air
fields in the south of the island
and had put them Into working
order for operations against the
Australian mainland.")
At Port Moresby anti-aircraft fire
disturbed tine aim of the japanese
bombardiers and at Darwin the raid
was said to have been directed not
at naval facilities but at residential
quarters.
The Port Moresby attackers were
characterized officially as medium
forces. while the Darwin raiders
were a small force"
(The Rabaul raid established
q score of at least rs invasion
ships announced as blasted in the
last two days. The Navy Depart
ment at Washington yesterday
announced the sinking or dam
aging of % vessels in air attacks
at Salamaua and Lac, New
Guinea. north of Port Moresby)
M Casualties At Moresby
Neither damage nor casualties
were reported at Port Moresby. The
raiders, it was said were hampered"
by anti-aircraft fire.
The Aussie gunners, now we'll
seasoned to attack seemed to keep
the raiders too nigh for effective
bombing
In about half hour the attackers
made three runs over the harbor in
stallations and shipping at Port
Moresby, which is strong point the
japanese must reduce before invad-
ing Australia.
After the first run. one formation
broke up and fed the battle. The
remainder left soon afterward, at
great height. the communique said.
The Australian war cabinet de-
cided today to form a mobile works
squadron of the Royal Australian Air
(See AUSTRALIA, Page A-14)