Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-08
bIamey Lauds Troops
Who Smashed jap
Defenses al buna
New Guinea Commander
Says U. S., AustroIion
Troops Did Wonders
By GEORGE WELLER,

Foreign Correspondent Of The Star and
Chicago Daily News
WITH THE AMERICAN
FORCES IN NEW GUINEA, Jan.
6 Delayed Gen. Sir Thomas
Blamey, a member of the Allied
high command, inspected the
Buna battlefields and watched
bombers strike the Jap line Of
communications at Sanananda
today. While ground -strafing
planes peppered the lines, the
commander of the Allied land
forces, with the veteran Ameri-
can commander of the local front
at his side, paused in an Ameri-
can jeep to watch the renewal
of the air offensive against these
thoroughly intrenched and for
midable Jap positions.
After greeting the troops. Aus
tralian and American, encamped
under the shattered palms on the
ground they won. Gen. Blamey. who
wore an open-shirted Anzac blouse
and carried a shooting stick, speak
ing from experience in the Middle
East and Flanders said:
This is the most closely fortified
area 1 have ever known since
France. The troops who captured
emplacements like these did wond-
ers. 1t was the most terrific feat
ever to get here"
Paid Necessary Price.
Gen. Blamey said Dumas capture
has been not without cost.
TT was not cheap victory by any
means. But the price had to be
paid and the troops stood up to the
task and paid it,"
When asked to compare the per-
Torrance of the Inexperienced
Americans with the Tobruk veterans
with whom they shared three sal
tents and are still sharing the San
amanda front. Gen. Blamey said:
The Americans did their job. Our
men have had three years of war.
They got their experience the only
way it can be gained"
In one section of the marshy gov
eminent gardens, east of the bloody
triangle of Buna where the roads to
Buna village and Mission fork, bury
ing attachments were just locating
the bodies of Americans and Japs
who fell there as the Blamey party
reached the once sniper-sown
Quagm1re.
After surveying the tangle Of
pandanus, palm thicket and lawyers
vines with its chain OF pillboXes in
the taking of which the Americans
suffered considerable casualties, Gen.
Blamey said:
In this country every bump or
hollow may be bunker. There are
places where it is impossible to see
a yard ahead. The only way q man
can make cross country approach
is by going to his waist in sinking
mud"
Build Road Amid Mire.
Gen. Blamey and his party hiked
several hundred yards through the
heavy mud, flanked by water pools,
where American engineers includ-
ing many from MaSsa chusetts, were
standing in mud to their calves
building a corduroy road of giant
palmettos.
Gen. Blamey, who landed on the
American built airfleld, also in
spected the 13-ton Gen. Stuart
tanks which, manned by Austria
lians, crushed the Japs between the
Australian hammer and the Amer
lean anvil. He ate beef and
crackers at midday with the Amer
leans and took tea with the Aussie
tankmen.
AS the Australian commander re-
turned across Buna airfleld dark
column of smoke billowed up from
the Sanananda shore. 1t appeared
that our bombers had hit some OF
the Japs' storage dumps.
At one point several stray shots
from the partly Jap-held coast be-
tween Buna village and Sanananda
came near where Gen. Blamey stood,
but he was not harmed.
Engineers have found cunpingly
buried Jap artillery as well as air
craft sighting instruments, appar-
entity indicating the Japs hope to
return despite their defeat.
(Copyright, 1913, Chicago Daily News, 1nc)