NEW THRUST STARTED IN THE NORTHERN SOLOMONS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 13332, 20 December 1943, Page 3

NEW THRUST STARTED IN THE NORTHERN SOLOMONS

it lied forces advancing in two ' DIRECTIONS on BOUGAINVILLE

GOOD PROGRESS MADE BY AMERICAN TROOPS IN NEW BRITAIN

VILLAGE ON THE COAST AND MUCH JAPANESE EQUIPMENT IS CAPTURED

London, December 19

y ne w push has been started in the Northern Solomons by h all ar my forces and Marines. They are reported to be •^ ael j llo . to the east and north-west from the bridgehead they ■'ell at Empress Augusta Bay, on Bougainville. ?aUI Vrtillery, planes and light naval units are supporting the ' e Elsewhere in the Bougainville area there has been • tier raids on Japanese positions and airfields. Ilir Q n ew Britain American troops have enlarged the bridge- , 1 from Arawe and now control the whole of the Merkus pisiila. The latest report was that they had moved three miles loir’' the coast. They have captured a village and much Japanese Japanese continue to send aircraft against them in day i nioht attacks but all these attacks have been broken up and dumber of Japanese planes have been shot down. *' T j ie importance of the landing at Arawe is emphasised by ]\ r Robson, editor of the Pacific Islands Monthly. He says in a 1 snatch that'it represents a new advance by the Allied left wing ■ f pincers movement towards the big Japanese base at Rabanl. Hl * it also has great propaganda value because it represents the v~f ] an( ling by Allied forces on New Britain which has been tron ff ly held by the Japanese since January of last year. Moreover shows how completely the Bismarck Sea is controlled by liie Mr Robson adds that Arawe is so conveniently placed in the South-west Pacific generally that it may have gregf value as a naval and air base. , The latest communique from the New Britain area states that for the first time Flying Fortresses have dropped supplies to our wound forces. As the parachutes were floating down two Japanese Zeros went into attack. Allied fighters went up and shot down both of them. Comment by a Japanese newspaper shows how much impoitthe enemy attaches to the fighting in New Britain.. This newspaper said that Rabaul must be held at all costs. The capture of y e w Britain would have far-reaching effects on the entire situation in the South-west Pacific. - In New Guinea Australian troops who captured the village of Lareona are keeping up pressure on the Japanese rearguard retreating from that position, hut the Australians are meeting very little opposition in their advance from Wareo and there are signs that the Japanese are making a general withdrawal in the territory away from the coast.