Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-04
800 Japanese Killed
Or Captured in Final
Stages ofBuna Battle
100 Others Cut OF
From Escape by Sea
As Allies Mop Up
Ey the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press.
SOMEWHERE IN NEW GUM
EA, Jan. 3 Delayed Allied
forces methodically engaged in
eliminating the last small pocket
of enemy resistance in the Buna
area succeeded today in cutting
off an estimated 100 japanese
troops from escape by sea.
This action followed the Allies
earlier investment of the Buna gov
eminent station and of Giropa
Point, major assaults which resulted
in the death or capture of at least
800 Japs.
Late yesterday the smaller enemy
force was reported holding an area
400 yards wide along the beach west
of Giropa Point and extending in
land to an unknown depth.
But during today part of the
American troops who had carved out
a corridor to the sea between the
government station and Giropa
Point drove southeast along the
coast and established contact with
the Australians on the point.
Thus the enemy lost its seward
line of retreat, and if it seeks to
withdraw inland, probably will be
wiped out piecemeal by the Allies
stronger units There is a definite
likelihood that these enemy troops
are short of ammunition and food
Their elimination is regarded as
little more than mopping-up
operation.
Laborers Also Captured.
Enemy casualties included so
prisoners. Twenty-three of these
were soldiers who surrendered near
Senimi Greek Another IS were
coolie laborers. Koreans among
them, presumably brought in to
build pillboxes and gun emplace-
ments.
Two were soldiers captured when
a party of eight came ashore just
east of Coma after a 3-mile flight
-Four others in this party were killed
by Allied patrols and two escaped
Reports from the front said men,
bers of the labor gangs showed
obvious signs of maltreatment by
the Japs. They also were under
nourished The laborers are being
looked after carefully and not
treated as prisoners of war.
American capture of the Buna
government station was achieved
through modification of the
swinging door tactics so successful
in the Allied operations farther
east in the Cape Endaiadere and
old strip sectors.
Having established a corridor to
the coast, troops holding the sea-
ward end of the line pushed swiftly
along the beach entirely around
Government Station Point, while
forces farther inland cleared out
the center portion. Tonight only
isolated snipers were still in the
area.
Hundreds of Japs Killed.
1t is estimated there are more
than 200 japanese dead in the
Government Station sector. while
. in the Giropa Point area Australian
infantry supported by American
made Gen. Stuart tanks killed
about $50.
OF the Japs who sought escape
by sea, another go were killed trying
to come ashore or rest on reefs
between the government station
and Sanananda Point.
In the words of the headquarters
communique, the Allied forces now
are preparing to envelop the last
organized remnants of Japan's
Papuan army in the swampy San
amanda area. There has been heavy
patrol activity and occasional out
bursts of artillery fire there for
weeks. Yesterday our artillery is
believed to have scored a bulls
eye on an enemy supply dump on
Sanananda Track. for there we're
fires and explosions.
A high Australian officer de-
scribed the Buna operations as "a
series of brilliant actions" in which
the enemy lost an estimated 1900
In killed alone. 1t was a progressive
series of sieges against defenses in
depth.