AUSTRALIAN SUPPLIES SIGNS OF SUCCESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 37, 12 August 1942, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN SUPPLIES

SIGNS OF SUCCESS

Australian Report

LONDON, August 11. From an advanced base the correspondent of the Australian Broadcasting Commission says today that there are signs that the Allies are meeting with some success in the Solomons in the face of extremely heavy opposition from the Japanese air and ground forces. The main attack is probably directed against Tulagi Island, but it is also almost certain that forces are hammering against adjacent Guadalcanar. There the Japanese have established a strong air force, ahd it is probably from there that Allied naval forces are meeting with strong opposition from land-based bombers.

The Allied air offensive now stretches right across the northern approaches to Australia and is directly linked with the battle of the Solomons.

damaged and left ablaze, and another smaller cargo ship was hit twice and probably sunk, while a large enemy destroyer was badly damaged by at least three direct hits. All the planes returned from this operation. Medium bombers maintained the attacks on the enemy aero T dromes in the Rabaul area and large fires were started which were visible 50 miles away. An enemy bomber was destroyed. EFFECT ON OPERATIONS. The continued devastating raids by Allied bombers on the enemy aerodromes at Lac, Salamaua, and Rabaul, have had a highly important effect on the general operations in the Solomons, stated the spokesman at General Mac Arthur's headquarters. "No Australian ground troops are engaged in the great battle, which is now reaching its fourth day," declared the spokesman, denying a previous report that Australian commando units were involved in the land fighting. Considerable significance is attached to the Allied bombing raids on the enemy shipping concentration south of Timor, but no clear indication of the battle raging on a huge front is yet available at the south-west Pacific headquarters.

Sm.'li of tho cable news on lhis page. ;is l.s su header) lias appeared in "Tin; Times" ami is cabled lo Australia and New Zealand t>.\ special permission ll should bt undiu'sluod that tin.' opinions ure nul t liu.se- .it 'Tin Times'' unless expressly slated lv In; su By special arrangement, Renter's world suivice, in addition to other special sources of information, ls used In tho compilation of tli? overseas Intelligence published in this issue, and all rights therein in Australia and New Zealand arc reserved.

SHORTAGES MADE UP

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 11. Some of the war supplies which were diverted from Australia have already been replaced, a Government spokesman declared today. Australia's loss from the lag was only temporary, and she is now receiving those supplies which were agreed on between the United Nations when the Minister of External Affairs, Dr. H. V. Evatt, was abroad. The supplies included valuable raw materials as -well as planes, tanks, and other finished weapons of war. "Australia is stronger at this moment than ever before in her history," said the spokesman. ANOTHER MINISTER TO TOUR? .The criticism of the war supply position may result in another Federal Minister making a munitions tour abroad. The [Minister of Supply, bMr. J. A. Beasley, has been mentioned. Commenting on the utterances of the Deputy Leader of the Federal Opposi-

tion, Mr. W. M. Hughes, which resulted in revelations of the restricted American aid, the "Sydney Morning Herald" says ma leader today:'"He told the Japanese nothing they did not know, and on the other hand he did his utmost to check their further progress by awakening Australia to a sense of its peril arising from the enemy approach on Port Moresby. In this he had succeeded, and the nation will thank him for his candour. "There has been, as Mr. Hughes contends, too much secrecy of an unnecessary kind regarding the conduct of war operations on this side of the Pacific."