SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 270, 13 November 1943, Page 5

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

United States forces made a landing on Bougainville, at Empress Augusta Bay, on Monday morning, November 1, gaining a position, as the official communique pointed out, in the rear of the Jap. position at Buin and in the Shortland Islands, and athwart his line of supply. The landing was covered by U.S. warships, while naval and air forces bombarded Buka and the Shortland Islands. It was reported by a correspondent that a Japanese naval squadron, consisting of four cruisers and six destroyers, approached Bougainville but on encountering the United States covering force, which moved out to meet it it fled It was officially imported, on November 5 that a larger enemy force, 12 cruisers and destroyers, was engaged the same night, in rain and pitch darkness, about 30 miles from Empress Augusta Bay. According to preliminary reports one Japanese cruiser and four destroyers were sunk, and two cruisers and two destroyers were hit. The main action ended at 4 a.m.. and in daylight the United States force was attacked by about 70 bombers, of which 17 were shot down. The damage to the United States force was described as "the lightest imaginable in view of the importanee'and scope of the action." Tokyo, admitting the loss of one cruiser and two destroyers, claimed that five Allied cruisers and three destroyers were sunk. On Friday, November 5, Rabaul was heavily attacked by Allied air forces, which, it was officially reported, sank or destroyed one heavy cruiser, seven destroyers and a gunboat, and damaged seven heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, two destroyers and a submarine. Much other damage was claimed. Next day, November , 6, General Mac Arthur reported that a force of 19 enemy warships, largely ' cruisers and destroyers, and several convoys, had been sighted en route from Truk to Rabaul. He commented that the enemy was apparently trying to retrieve the situation at Rabaul by fully utilising his capacity for rapid replacement. Subsequently it was reported from Washington that the force en route to Rabaul—B3o miles from Xruk—comprised 30 warships escorting 23 merchantmen. There were eight heavy and seven light cruisers, 13 destroyers and two corvettes. Washington, on November 7, reported a Japanese claim that torpedo-bombers sank two Allied aircraft-carriers, two cruisers and two destroyers, south of Bougainville on November 5, There was no Allied comment on this claim. Tokyo's first big claim was reported last Monday. It was that in last week's fighting off Bougainville 58 Allied warships were sunk and 78 damaged. This week Tokyo, in a communique, claimed that more than 15 Allied warships had been sunk in a convoy south of Bougainville on November 8 during an attack by Japanese Navy planes. Tokyo radio specified three battleships, two cruisers, three destroyers and four transports. Berlin • followed up by claiming "the biggest Japanese naval victory since Pearl Harbour." The reply was given by Colonel Knox, who said there was no truth in Japanese claims of heavy destruction. He described the claims as "another fishing expedition for information." On November 10 it was announced that the Japanese had succeeded in getting a considerable force ashore north of Empress Augusta Bay. Enemy warships protected the landing.