MAIN ATTACK DUE

Evening Star, Issue 24915, 13 July 1943, Page 3

MAIN ATTACK DUE

AMERICANS NEAR MUNDA IMPORTANT STRATEGIC PRIZE (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) vSYDNEY, July 12. American forces are about to launch a strong attack against the Japanese positions guarding Munda airfield. Big numbers of assault troops have reached jumping-off positions flanking this first important strategic priz'e of the Pacific offensive. . ' Tokio radio admitted that for some days United States patrols have been operating within two miles of Munda. It is believed that the mission of the Japanese naval task force now in the Solomons Sea is to relieve the increasing pressure on Munda. Composed of an undisclosed number of light cruisers and destroyers, the force was last reported at Kula Gulf, east of Kolom-: bangara, near the scene of the defeat of the last Japanese naval force. Bad weather has screened the second force in its dash from the northern Solomons towards the eastern entrance of Kula Gulf.

The Japanese warships were first sighted early on Saturday morning by a Catalina dying boat south of Choiseul Bay, about 40 miles north of New Georgia. Our attacks failed. Later Liberator heavy bombers picked up the force 10 miles north of Munda, scoring two direct hits. -No subsequent attack has been reported, but aircraft are .searching between New _ Georgia arid Kolombangara for the ships. Meanwhile Allied artillery has been transported from Rendova to positions flanking Munda's defences, and 'will undoubtedly fill an important role in an attack against the airfield. ENEMY SHIPS FLEE.* A later message states: The Japanese force of light cruisers and destroyers reported on Sunday to be approaching New Georgia, Central Solpmons, has turned and fled to the north. The warships ( were last reported 15 miles north of Kolombangara, making in the direction of the Buin-Faisi area, the Japanese naval concentration point in the Northern Solomons. No fresh attacks against the ships have been reported, but observers consider it unlikely that the enemy force was able to reach New Georgia to land reinforcements or supplies for the beleaguered garrison of Munda.

General MacArthur's latest communique makes no reference to the land situation at Munda, where tm* threat to the garrison has been increased by the establishment of a road block between the airfield and Bairoko Harbour, to the north. This completes the isolation of Munda. At" the same time the American forces which landed at Rice Anchorage, east of Bairoko, and at Zanana, are closing in against the airfields' defences. The Allied air force is keeping up its battering of the area. On Sunday strong formations of Avengers and Dauntless dive-bombers dropped 52 tons of high explosives on anti-aircraft positions and bivouac areas at Bibelo Hill, 300 yards from the Munda airstrip. Our planes are also maintaining pressure against the Northern Solomons, from which area, the Japanese mighfr be able to launch a counter air action. Liberators on Sunday dropped 40 tons of bombs on Kahili aerodrome.