Blitz in the Jungle

"Americans say that they have built 60,000 planes during the past year and that they are going to build 120,000 during the coming year."

Conversion of U.S. industry to war "shows what swift progress the Americans are making in full implementation of their war program. . . .

"America is the country where mechanical civilization has reached its most extreme development."

With these words, Kyoku Okuda, of the technical section of the Japanese Army Air Forces, writing recently in a popular Japanese magazine, warned his countrymen to prepare for a perilous future. Said Mr. Okuda: "If even a single Japanese gives in to the hardships and grows weary of the war, we will be defeated."

In the New Guinea jungles one day last week, Japanese troops, dug in for the defense of Lae, lifted their eyes to the skies and saw Kyoku Okuda's warning suddenly materialize. Rumbling overhead were Allied bombers, fighters and transports--the largest air armada ever assembled in the Southwest Pacific. From the transports hundreds of parachutes were dropping like blossoms into Markham Valley.

They were U.S. paratroopers, specially trained for this kind of jungle blitz. They flopped down hurriedly into the tall Kunai grass of the valley. Australian artillerymen with their guns dropped down after them. The Aussies had had only a week's training and only one practice jump, but they took the leap gamely. Australian pioneers, who had made a five-day trek overland, joined the U.S. and Australian paratroopers.

The operation, commanded by General Douglas MacArthur riding in a Flying Fortress, closed the last link in a trap around the Jap in the areas of Lae and Salamaua. The day before, Australians landing on the beach above Lae had shut off escape in that direction. Allied light naval craft guarded the sea approaches, sinking Jap barges that tried to sneak in with supplies and reinforcements.

At week's end MacArthur's troops seized the first prize of the coordinated campaign. Australian troops swam a jungle river to make a surprise assault and capture strategic Salamaua airfield. North of Lae, against the other jaw of the closing Allied trap, the enemy counterattacked weakly. Mr. Okuda's people appeared to be growing weary of the war in New Guinea.

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