CLOSING ON MUNDA

Evening Star, Volume 24914, Issue 24914, 12 July 1943, Page 4

CLOSING ON MUNDA

SUPPLY ROUTES HOW BLOCKED ENEMY GARRISON OF 5,000 Special Aust. Correspondent) (Rec. 8 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 11. . Allied planes, warships, and artillery have subjected Munda to a terrific bombardment. Munda, on New Georgia Island, is the most important Japanese airfield and base in the Central Solomons. More than 100 American. bombers with strong fighter protection on Friday dropped 70 tons of while destroyers and heavy, artillery on hearby ltendova put down a /barrage of shells. This battering continued on Saturday, when American torpedo and dive-bombers dropped another 67 tons of high explosives on the base. Meanwhile the American land forces are slowly closing their pincer drive on Simula. The latest reports from General MacArthur's headquarters say that our ground forces hare established a road block to the trail linking Munda with its satellite 'base of Bairoko. Two •enemy attempts to force a passage resulted in at least 60 Japanese being killed. Other American troops ate reported to be in contact with the Japanese about three miles from the air base on its southern side. War correspondents in the area say it is believed that some' enemy reinforcements have succeeded in getting through to Munda, where the garrison, estimated to number about 5,000, is dug into a naturally strong defensive area: Japanese naval, units are still active in the Solomons Sea. A force of light cruisers arid, destroyers approaching Georgia w;as attacked at night, by American me'dum and. heavy bombers, which scored two hits with 5001 b bombs. No further details are reported. ,-■ Although formations of Japanese planes have made intermittent sortie's, the constant air umbrella maintained over the American beach-heads on New Georgia has prevented, damaging enemy aerial blows. The Allies have Mustered their greatest concentrations of aircraft in the Pacific.. Under this aerjal,protection an endless stream of small craft is building wp supplies at; the won beach. The latest of. these is'Etipgai Inlet, two miles north-east of Bairoko, which hds how been occitpied by our forces. : One of the most important. Allied staging bases in New Guinea is at where marines routed the enemy by a surprise blow, from the back couritjy. Here, although some hundreds of Japanese scattered'through the jungle are exploiting their nuisance value by snijijirrg, i, Ameripan,,- patrols' ,position ,is securely! held. '•■ The;;big coastal guns in- ; .stalled by the.. used- against .the '- 'marities. -^Tliei : j ''Japanese had apparently pfepaf to defend Viru only against seaborne, ,iri- I vasion, and it was not anticpStM'that I a threatening force; could,- traverse the) heavy jungle,, swamjbs, arid rivers to! make, a reajr 'attack. ttte Ahie- . xicans did attack'froni-this quarter,the "Japanese weie. unable to • tiggtjns to defend Viru against the vic- '.' ..,'.„.■/*.',;,'. GuineavAlljed.planes, ireisuprportiriis the 'ground; forces in the SalfcJ.. area "by- heavy .'< against Japaijese positions. No eperitjp :„"Xlr"inter.ceptia2' was encountered vwheh n large force)'df our bombers plastered . the eft&my defence area wiih:4s tons.of high- 'explosives on-Saturday, Allied ;. troops are still in Cotitrict'With the 'Japanese iii the Bohdtiiii area, five miles inland from Salaroaua, and on the' ridges slightly north-east of Mubo village.