NAVAL VICTORY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 230, 9 July 1943, Page 3

NAVAL VICTORY

MORE JAPANESE LOSSES. AT LEAST NINE WARSHIPS. THREAT TO THE MUNDA BASE. - SYDNEY, July 8. The United States naval victory in the battle of the Kula Gulf, in the central Solomons, was more considerable than was indicated by earlier reports. The Japanese losses were at last nine warships, and possibly 11, including three cruisers. Every ship of the Japanese force was either sunk or probably damaged, and the Americans lost only one, the cruiser Helena, of 9700 tons. The Helena was one. of the ships damaged in the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbour. These new details of .the Allied sea victory are announced in General MacArthur's communique to-day. There are no reports of either capital ships or aircraft-carriers being engaged in the battle. The communique also confirms reports from South Pacific war correspondents that American forces have made landings on New Georgia Island in positions flanking the enemy’s Munda base. With our troops established on each side of Munda base the enemy garrison faces the threat of a strangling blockade. These landings arc an obvious preliminary to a determined coordinated attack against this valuable air base. Reports of sea and land action are accompanied by graphic accounts of fierce air activity throughout the Solomons battle zone. General MacArtliur’s communique reports the destruction of 21 Japanese aircraft in combat over this area. The destruction of many grounded enemy aircraft i,s also probable. Some American commentators suggest that the United States forces have already established an airfield on Rendova Island.

Progress of Operations.

Referring to operations in the Solomons. General Mae Arthur’s communique says:

“Rendova Island—A force of enemy bombers with a strong escort of 56 Zeros was intercepted and dispersed by our fighter patrol shortly after noon. Three enemy bombers and nine fighters were shot down for the loss of one Allied plone. Delayed dispatches indicate, that on July o 18 enemy bombers attempting to attack Allied shipping were driven off, with the loss of nine bombers. No damage was done. “Villa (Kolombangara Island) —Our torpedo and dive-bombers, with fighter escort, attacked the enemy aerodrome, dropping 28 tons of heavy bombs on anti-aircraft positions and bivouac and supply dump areas. Numerous fires were started. Later, escorted medium units bombed the aerodrome. There-was no interception. All our planes returned from those attacks.

“New Georgia Island Our forces landed at Rice anchorage, four miles north-oast of Bairolco harbour, before dawn on July 5. The operations were preceded by a bombardment of enemy bases in the Kula Gulf by our surface units. During the same night, elements of our ground forces from Rendova secured a beach-head at Zanana, six miles east of Munda aerodrome. Patrols made contact along the Barike river.

“Buka—Heavy bombers attacked the aerodrome after nightfall with highexplosives and fragmentation bombs, starting a large fire near the runway.

“Buin-Faisi—Our heavy bombers attacked Kahili aerodrome at dusk with 4J tons of high - explosives, causing large fires in dispersal areas. Intense anti-aircraft fire from warships and shore batteries was encountered and enemy fighters were intercepted. Two of our planes are missing. “After dark our heavy units bombed the Ballade aerodrome, causing four large fires, with smoke rising 4000 feet.

“Kula. Gulf—Amplified reports of the battle in the Kula Gulf during the early hours of July G indicate that tlie enemy naval force was decisively defeated, with the loss of at least nine warships. In the, first phase of the engagement four of five hostile destroyers wore struck by smashing broadsides which within five minutes destroyed the entire group.

“Three, possibly four, enemy light cruisers wore then taken under fire. All were either sunk or set on fire within 15 minutes. One was beached. “Later, during the rescue of survivors from the American light cruiser Helena, our destroyers intercepted and sank two of three enemy ships attempting to escape from the gulf, and damaged the third.”