Evening star., 1943-09-08
Field Guns, Dropped
By Parachute, Firing
AT Targets Near Lac
BY the Associated Press


ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC.
Sept. 8. Field artillery pieces
dropped by parachute with
American paratroops at Nadzab
airport Sunday now are firing at
Japanese targets. in the Mark
ham Valley in the direction of
Lac, Allied headquarters dis
closed tonight.
1t also was announced that a
strong offensive patrol of 100 Jap
anese troops was routed Monday
near Singaua plantation. 10 miles
east of Lac, by Australian in
fantrymen who landed on the New
Guinea coast 48 hours earlier.
The troops were advancing west
ward along the Huon Gulf toward
Lac itself and were approaching the
Bush River, only 5 miles from
Malahang, one of the threatened
citys main airdromes.
The Australians were within range
of enemy guns at Lac, but the guns
have not been fired as yet. The
silence of these weapons indicated
the effectiveness of the heavy aerial
pounding of Lac by Liberator
bombers before the Allied invasion
Saturday.
Guns Quickly Assembled.
The field guns dropped from trans
port planes Sunday were assembled
"as quickly as men could find the
pieces in tall grass" and now have
been rolled into position and placed
in action, headquarters announced.
The guns have been directed on a
target along the road to Lac.
American paratroopers and other
units in Markham Valley have not
yet met serious opposition.
1t was said officially that opera :
tions on both sides of Lac are pro-
ceeding according to plan without
real resistance. Since the first few
days are all important in operations
of this kind, it was pointed out that
the lack of opposition augurs well
for the ultimate success of the pincer
movement.
Malahang airdrome, across the
Busu River from the advancing Aus
tralians, is three miles from Lac
airfield proper which was the towns
secondary airdrome.
The strong Japanese patrol group
was sighted early Monday crossing
the Bunga River, 7 miles east of
Lac and travelling westward. The
enemy was met by Australian
ground forces at Singaua planta-
ton.
Most of the japanese were be-
lieved killed.
The only other action was skir-
mish at Huon Gulf beachhead dur
ing landing operations Saturday
Thirty Japanese were routed and at
least five snipers were killed.
On the Salamaua front, 18 miles
below Lac, patrol activity only was
reported.
The paratroopers captured the
Nadzab airstrip, 20 miles northwest
of Lac, Sunday. Today headquar-
ters disclosed the strip has beer
placed in shape and Australian
troops are streaming in by all
transport to reinforce paratroopers
moving on Lac from the rear.
Lac has two airdromes. Sala-
maua, Is miles southeast. has one
All three are in danger of seizure as
a consequence of an encirclement
which has trapped a japanese Army
estimated at 10000 men.
All three no longer can be used
by the enemy. Allied bombers, es.
corted by fighters, have made it un.
safe for the Japanese to use air.
strips at Finschhafen, Madang
Nubia, Alexishafen and airdromes
$50 miles above Salamaua around
Wewak
Slowly, after many weeks, Ameri-
cans and Australians are fighting
on the very edges of the Salamaua
airdrome.
Allied planes, virtually monop-
olizing the sky over Lac, blasted
enemy bivouacs and supply dumps
with las tons of bombs.
The japanese Air Force, which
weakly opposed the Australian land.
ings from the sea Saturday-but
never appeared as one of the big
gest assemblies of planes ever en-
ployed in the South Pacific executed
the paratroop operations Sunday
showed up Monday. American fight
ers sped out over the Huon Gull
to intercept 20 enemy medium bomb.
ers and 10 fighters. Two japanese
bombers and five fighters definitely
were destroyed. Five other bombers
and fighter were believed shot
down. The Americans lost one P-38