PRELUDE TO NEW OFFENSIVE ACTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 35, 11 February 1943, Page 5

PRELUDE TO NEW OFFENSIVE ACTION

GUADALCANAR GAIN "New Zealand Contributed To The Victory" N.Z. Press Association. —Copyright Rec. 1 p.m. WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.

"We are going to take further offensive action in which complete control of Guadalcanar has an important part. I am not at liberty to say what that action will be," declared Captain Miles Browning, a member of Admiral Halsey's staff. He added that New Zealand had contributed to the success at Guadalcanar, a victory in which the American Army and marines had an equal share.

But the importance of the gain must not be exaggerated, he declared. Guadalcanar was not important except for its airfield and as the springboard for futyre operations. The last Japanese resistance on the island was overcome on Tuesday last. About a week earlier, seeing the situation was hopeless, the Japanese evacuated an unknown number of high-ranking officers by destroyers and submarines. "They left the junior officers and men to take the rap," said Captain Browning. "There's nothing startling about that. It is a comment on their psychology. There was no indication of a mass removal of troops." Admiral Halsey has sent his congratulations to Major-General Alexander Patch, commander of the American army on Guadalcanar. "Having sent Major-General Patch to do a tailoring job on Guadalcanar, I am surprised and pleased at the speed with which he removed the enemy's pants to accomplish it," eaid Admiral Halsey.

Enemy Bases Straf«d "In the South Pacific on Tuesday Airacobra fighters strafed and sank an enemy barge off Hooper Bay, northern Russell Islands, in the Solomons. A number of floating drums of fuel oil were destroyed in the same vicinity," states the U.S. Navy Department communique No. 276. During the evening a force of Marauder medium bombers, escorted by Airacobras and Lightnings, bombed the Japanese positions on Kolombangara Island, north-east of Guadalcanar. The results were not reported. During the evening Dauntless dive bombers escorted by Lightnings and Wildcats attacked Japanese positions on Munda, New Georgia. A large fire was started. "United States ground forces on Guadalcanar have advanced to positions half-a-mile west of Segilau River, in the vicinity of Doma Voca, on the north-west coast of the island. United States troops advanced to the north-east as far as Visale. No opposition was encountered and a large amount of enemy equipment was captured." The communique also states that in the North Pacific on Monday, Liberator heavy bombers and Mitchell medium bombers raided the camp area at Kiska and installations at North Head, in the Aleutians. Seven float-type Zeros were observed on the water, but they did not attempt to intercept. All the United States planes returned.