BATTLE OF PAGIFIC

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 3, 3 July 1943, Page 5

BATTLE OF PAGIFIC

Going Well For Allies

LONDON, July 2.

The Pacific battle against the Japanese is going well for the Allies all along the front. An Australian correspondent says that on the mainland of New Guinea American troops that landed at Nassau Bay are consolidating their position just south of Salamaua, while Australian forces which have been holding the Japanese in the Mubo area are moving towards the coast to join up with the Americans. In the centre of the front the occupation of the Tobriands and of Woodlark Island is virtually complete. In the central Solomons the Japanese have taken a hard knock in the air. The correspondent says that American warships have steamed up north to bombard Japanese positions in the Bum and Faisi region, and that on land the Americans have overwhelmed the Japanese garrisons south of Munda airfield. • The whole weight of the Allied offensive is being hurled against Munda and the airfield at Kulainbangra. In air battles yesterday and the day before the. Japanese lost 123 aircraft. Twenty-five United States aircraft are missing. Munda is being blasted from the air, from batteries on Rendova, and from Allied warships. In addition, the main Japanese base at Rabaul in New Britain, is being blasted by American aircraft. The tactics being used are the "smothering" methods which were employed in the battle for Guadalcanal. Earlier reports quoted a Washington communique for the statement that dive-bombers started large fires, in the Munda airfield area. Yestefday afternoon, N also, formations of torpedobombers and dive-bombers attacked Kulambangra. -.•■■'.'. ■•, More details have been received about the fighting in the early stages. The troops put ashore on Rendovo

Island dealt with the Japanese garrison in six hours. Within two hours of'landing American artillery was bom/b'ardfng the Munda airfield. Since then the airfield and its defences have been attacked by divebombers; torpedo-bombers^ and medium bombers, and destroyers of the American Fleet have bombarded Japanese positions. - JThere is no recent news of the fighting oil New Georgia Island and- of the operations at Viru Harbour, but United States forces are said to be well established in the whole of the New Georgia group.