FRESH DEFEAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 34, 9 August 1943, Page 5

FRESH DEFEAT

JAPANESE NAVAL FORCE

WIPED OUT IN SOLOMONS

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, August 8

A Japanese naval force of four warships has been wiped out in the Central Solomons. In an hour-long action with torpedoes and gunfire Allied surface units in Vella Straits sank an enemy cruiser and two large destroyers shortly before midnight on Friday. Another destroyer was probably sunk. No Allied ships were lost. General IVlacArthur's communique today says the enemy force was surprised when it was apparently attempting to run supplies to Vila, on Kulambangra Island.

The Japanese have suffered other severe setbacks during the past 48 hours. The American jungle troops who captured Munda airfield on New Georgia last Thursday are pushing north without encountering* any opposition. Routed and disorganised Japanese troops from the airfield may have retreated into the hills in this sector. All organised resistance at Munda ceased at 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon. The Japanese on New Georgia continue to resist at Bairoko Harbour, eight miles from Munda. Allied bombers on Saturday dropped 40 tons of explosives on enemy installations at Bairoko, which were also heavily strafed. The Bairoko garrison is believed to be trapped. Allied bombers and fighters have been switching to new Solomons targets. These are mainly in the Bum Faisi area of Bougainville and Rekata Bay, Santa Isabel Island. More than 100 bombers and fighters struck at Rekata Bay on Friday afternoon. Sixty-five tons of bombs were unloaded on bivouac areas and supply dumps and extensive damage is believed to have been caused. BATTLE OF FIGHTERS. Seven Zeros were shot down south of Bougainville Island, when 30 enemy fighters engaged in a running battle with about half their number of Corsairs, United States navy fighters. One Corsair was lost. At Vella Lavella a Catalina on night patrol caught a large

enemy barge transporting reinforcements into the area. Direct hits burned out the barge and the'Catalina, sweeping low, strafed survivors in the sea.

The Japanese air force in the Solomons made its strongest sortie for some time when 60 dive-bombers and fighters raided the Allied positions at Rendova. They caused light casualties at a field hospital. Six enemy planes were destroyed.

In New Guinea, Salamaua has again been blasted by Allied bombers. Reporting action in this area, General Mac Arthur's latest communique says: "Our heavy bombers in force attacked the area during the morning, concentrating 92 tons of high explosives within 20 minutes. A large fuel fire was started at the aerodrome, smoke rising 2000 feet. Explosions and fires encompassed the entire area, which was covered with a pall of smoke. Ground action was limited to artillery exchanges."

Our aircraft are keeping up their attacks on enemy barges along the north New Guinea coast, several being destroyed during the weekend. At Kaukenau, in Dutch New Guinea, a small enemy merchantman, about 400 tons, was left stationary in a large oil slick after it had been attacked by a medium bomber.

A small Allied cargo ship has been bombed and sunk by enemy aircraft off the northern coast of Australia, in the Arafura Sea. One of the crew is missing, and three others were seriously injured. A ship rescued the survivors shortly after the attack, which was made on Friday morning.