Word: lae
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Slowly victory neared at Buna, but the nature of victory was as ominous as it was painfully slow. More important Japanese bases still were at Lae and Salamaua, about 150 miles farther north in New Guinea. And Lae and Salamaua, in turn, were outposts of Rabaul. Behind Rabaul were scores of Jap island bases. Buna was teaching how long and bitter would be the road to final victory in the South Pacific islands...
...first successful offensive was in sight; the fall of Buna might come at any time. Buna is merely a coconut-fringed village of three houses and five huts. But with nearby Gona taken this week, Buna was the only Jap haven left in New Guinea east of the Lae-Salamaua area...
Papua is only one-fourth of the island of New Guinea, but it is the most important part of that eerie, partially explored island. For the first time since they landed there last February, it seemed that the Japs might have to look to the defense of their bases, Lae and Salamaua, 150-odd miles northwest of Buna. If MacArthur could take Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea would be lost to the Japs. Already Australian Commandos were harassing the two bases, working in the dead of night with their knives and tommy guns...
...task force approached the Solomons, Douglas MacArthur's airmen began smashing at Jap air bases. The purpose was obvious: to hamstring the Jap in the employment of the best weapon he had against sea attack. Army bombers raided the old familiar targets at Lae and Salamaua on the northeast coast of New Guinea by day and by night. On Friday, Aug. 7 (Thursday in the U.S.), when Ghormley's force had its first contact with the Japs, the Army was raiding Rabaul in New Britain, probably the Jap's strongest position east of Amboina...
...first step was to move a landing force from his ill-selected, oft-bombed positions at Lae and Salamaua (see map), barred from Port Moresby by great mountains. He would set the force down at Buna, near the head of a mountain road, primitive but passable, that led across to Port Moresby. Thus he could get at the thorn. Once he got rid of the thorn, he could launch his attack at thinly held northern Australia or spread east through the flanking island chain as his restless, never-idle sense of movement dictated...