Operation Foo-Foo

Until now, Allied arrows of invasion in the Pacific have headed inevitably (if sometimes deviously) toward Japan. Last week, at the bottom of the Allied line of attack, Australians jabbed a small but significant arrow away from Japan and straight toward the Japs' stolen empire. Landing on the swampy, oil-rich island of Tarakan off Borneo's northeast coast, Aussie troops drove the Japanese off an airstrip. Soon Allied planes would be using it to work over the South China Sea, Borneo and The Netherlands East Indies.

The operations plan was known as "Foo-Foo." In preparation the Australian First Tactical Air Force had flown the 1,400-mile round trip from Morotai to bomb Tarakan heavily. U.S. bombers of the Thirteenth Air Force added their bit. Then U.S. Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey sailed his light task force of cruisers and destroyers in for four days' naval bombardment. Foo-Foo really got rolling when U.S. Rear Admiral Forrest B. Royal brought up his Seventh Fleet landing craft loaded with tough, felt-hatted veterans of the illustrious 9th Australian Division and a token Dutch force.

Despite a last-minute change in plans, when a destroyer struck a mine and blocked the inshore channel to Lingkas Bay, the operation was a dinkum one. Admiral Royal switched to a hazardously narrow channel, brought the stunt off and landed his troops on time.

The Old Jungle Story. Unpredictable as ever, the defenders chose to abandon their excellent beach defenses and pull back to the hills. Troops quickly worked up toward the dense undergrowth where the first Japanese opposition began. Then the battle steadied down to the usual drudging Southwest Pacific jungle fight, with the Aussies working diligently to erase each individual Jap. At some points the advance was slowed by electrically-controlled Jap minefields. But by this week the Aussies had reached the town of Tarakan and captured the island airfield two miles away.

Tarakan, a triangular island some 15 miles long and eleven miles wide, was a rich prewar fuel-oil reserve. Some of its product was so pure it could be pumped directly into ships' bunkers. The oil was a big long-range item, but it was Tarakan's airstrip that was the immediate military attraction.

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