NOW NEARLY CLEAR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 1, 12 October 1943, Page 3

NOW NEARLY CLEAR.

THE CENTRAL SOLOMONS KOLOMBANGARA FULLY OCCUPIED. SYDNEY, Oct. 11. American troops have invested all the main Japanese positions formerly held on Kolombangara, in the central Solomons, and now report that no organised enemy forces remain on the island.

A Japanese announcement that Japanese naval aircraft have bombed Rekata Bay, at the northern tip of Ysabel Island, suggests that the Allies are also in occupation there, say correspondents. This would mean that the Japanese have left all the islands in the central Solomons group, almost completely clear, except for the northernmost, Bougainville, upon which they fell back when their positions in Kolombangara were made untenable by the Allied occupation of Vella Lavella. The Japanese base at Vila, on Kolombangara, was occupied last Wednesday. Much abandoned equipment was found including artillery. On Vila, aerodrome were 10 wrecked aircraft.

Small parties of Japanese are still trying to escape from Kolombangara. On Friday night Allied light naval craft intercepted 29, who were attempting to get .away in small boats. An official radio announcement front Tokio, that Japanese naval aircraft on Saturday bombed Rekata Bay, formerly an important enemy seaplane base on the north-eastern shore of Ysabel Island, is said by the American Associated Press to indicate that the Americans have captured this point. There is no official confirmation. Ysabel is ’a, long, narrow island between. Choiseul and Malaita, about 65 miles north-east of New Georgia.