EIGHT SHIPS SUNK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 147, 18 December 1943, Page 7

EIGHT SHIPS SUNK

Work By OcS, Sobraarines Eec. 11 aim. RUGBY, Dec. 17. The United States Navy Department states: "In the Pacific and Far East United States submarines have reported the sinkings of eight enemy vessels in operation* against the enemy. Two large transports, two large tankers, three medium freighters, and, one smalt freighter,;„ were sunk."—-B;O.W. jMijmiiimiiiiuimiiiiirmiiiiHitimimiiiiiiiinmiiiHniMmiii1 to Madang and other important bases on the north-east coast'of New Guinea. It also cuts the south-western barge supply route to Cape Gloucester (the south-western tip of New Britain), which has been a base for the Japanese fighters that range over the Huon Peninsula. Australian, commentators believe that the'latest 200-mile drive towards Tokio is a preliminary to other blows for which the occupation of Arawe is '■a. preparation: CO-ORDINATEI> ASSAULT. : General, Mac Arthur's communique ■today saysi'The operation; gives us a 'base in New Britain which ensures surface command of Vitiaz Strait and its contiguous waters." Perfect co-operation between sea, ground, and air arms marked the first Allied combined assault on New Bri,tain since this strategic island was ocicupied by the Japanese nearly two •years ago. The Americans had left ! nothing .to-chance....-For several days l-the chosen objectives had been skil- ! fully softened up by powerful aerial blows. GENERAL KKEUGER'S MEN. The most up-to-date amphibious equipment was used for the landing, which was made by elements of General Kreuger's Sixth American Army 'tinder the command of BrigadierGeneral Julian Cunningham. RearAdmiral Daniel1 Barbey commanded : the naval arm of the Seevnth Amphibious Task Force. General Mac Arthur supervised the campaign from the •Sixth Army's base in New Guinea. : The main opposition in Arawe came ,fr;om a,concentrated Japanese defence i position on the crest' of an almost un- !. scalable cliff, reports an Australian i war correspondent, who accompanied tthe invasion force: Obviously warned the Americans' approach, the Japanese had withdrawn hurriedly from the toe of Arawe Peninsula to consqliaate on high ground three miles iniland. From this position they could i' more readily evacuate the entire secitorv ■ * ' ~. : Their mountain guns and machineguns on this dominating point sprayed ione small landing party with witheri ing fire. The survivors of this group t.were in the water for more than three ! hours, but in the meantime two salvoes from the guns of an escorting deStroyer ,had silenced the Japanese strongpoint. ENEMY ABB ATTACKS. ' Thirty minutes after the first landing had reached the shore enemy divedombers and fighters launched a series of attacks. These were remarkably ineffectual. Altogether the entire operation cost the Americans only 55 men killed, wounded, and missing. The landing force quickly secured its main beach-head to a point three miles inland. Just off-shore, the Arawe and Pileilo Islands were also occupied. . ~ , . ~ Figures which have been released by General Mac Arthur's headquarters show the thoroughness of the preparations for the Arawe invasion. Since December 1 Allied planes have made 46 attacks on New Britain, and in these raids nearly 1700 tons of explosives were dropped on targets in the south of the island. The waters round Arawe offer a good anchorage; the coast in this area has deep indentations, and there are many off-shore islands. This coast receives heavy rains from May to November, but during the north-west monsoon (December to April), much of it is sheltered, and the rainfall is considerably lighter. Little is known of the far inland area of New Britain, with its high and rugged range of central mountains, as commercial development has been confined to the coast. New Britain experiences some of the heaviest rains ,in the South-west Pacific, averaging annually as much as 100 to 168 inches in some localities.