[Editor: This article, regarding the fighting in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War (1939-1945), was published in The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 27 January 1943.]
US general’s tribute to Australians
Heroism at Buna
From Mervyn Weston,
“Argus” War Correspondent
Somewhere in New Guinea,
Tues: Describing the United Nations’ Papuan campaign as “a military nightmare,” Lt-Gen Robert Eichelberger, commander of American forces at Buna and deputy commander of the Allied ground forces in New Guinea, today said that hardships overcome by our forces besieging the Japanese beach strongholds were “indescribable in their immensity and fury.”
He had the deepest admiration for everyone who served during the campaign. Each and every man deserved his share of credit.
“I know of no better soldier than the Australians who fought under my command, he said. “Our Australian tank contingent, getting their first battle baptism, performed magnificently, and support given them by both Australian and American infantry and engineers was wonderful. Our men have learned lessons which bode ill indeed for the Japs in the future.”
A special tribute was paid by Lt-Gen Eichelberger to the warm friendship and understanding co-operation he had received from Gen MacArthur and Gen Sir Thomas Blamey. Similarly he warmly praised Lt-Gen E. F. Herring, Maj-Gen Vasey, and Brig George Wootton, commanders of Australian forces in the Sanananda area.
Their leadership, friendship, and co-operation were given in quantities we could not anticipate,” he said. “Relationship and fine mutual understanding during this campaign were remarkable and wonderful to see. It accomplished something which months of association anywhere else could not have done.”
Fine work by engineers
Lt-Gen Eichelberger, who was seen daily in the front lines during the Buna fighting, said the Allied combat engineers had been outstandingly skilful in solving transport and supply difficulties in terrible conditions. He had the deepest respect for the bravery and individual heroism of Australian artillerymen, who showed up superbly in battle and were accurate in the extreme.
Reviewing long-range aspects of the campaign, he particularly emphasised that this was the first time in history that the Japanese had been “slapped down” when defending strongly fortified positions.
“There is no comparison between the Papuan campaign and the Solomons, Bataan, or any place else. Here we were fighting on ground the Jap had meticulously and cleverly chosen to defend until he died. To my knowledge this is the first time the Jap has ever actually been pushed out from positions so formidable as to be almost unbelievable. Of course, we had lessons to learn. It was the Americans’ first baptism under fire. We had to overcome positions which could not be encircled and could not be bombed out. But we killed far more of them than they did of us, and taught them one lesson they will not forget.”
Describing the entrance of American forces into a Japanese hospital south of Giruwa, he said that the patients had been deserted by their officers and even by their hospital attendants. Many were dead, and those still alive “didn’t love anybody any more, and they were not very proud of their Imperial Japanese Army.”
Source:
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 27 January 1943, p. 2
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