AIR BATTLE OVER RENDOVA

Evening Star, Issue 24919, 17 July 1943, Page 5

AIR BATTLE OVER RENDOVA

45 ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) SYDNEY, July 16. The superiority held by the Allied Air Force in the Solomons area was remarkably displayed yesterday when 45 Japanese planes were destroyed in a big air battle over Rendova. Only three Allied planes were lost, , Enemy formations totalling between 80 and 90 aircraft wero intercepted by fewer than 45 Allied fighters. A spokesman at South Pacific headquarters, according to despatches from America! has revealed _ that tho Allies are holding quantitative' as well as qualitative air superiority in the Central Solomons. Our planes have been destroying Japanese machines at a. ratio better than eight to one. This is

reported by war correspondents in th« area.

The spokesman added that tbe Japanese, by massing all the air strength! they are known to have available itt, the South- and South-west Pacific 'areas, could probably attain numerical superiority at a given time and place—, but such efforts have so far proved fx~ tremely costly to the Japanese. During the past 14 days 211 enemy planes have* been destroyed in the Solomons^ The stiffening resistance being en>» countered by the American troops attacking Munda could be interpreted as meaning that a greater number of prepared strong-points were being met, rather, than that the enemy garrison, had been reinforced, added the spokesman.

' Short, deadly clashes continue to mark the Now Georgia fighting. At Batuna (Vangunu Island) 150 Japanese were killed in brief skirmishes., Th» first of these occurred when two Amen- . can tank lighters intercepted a landing barge carrying 50 enemy troops. In a hot exchange of fire a barge was sunk, and it is believed that all the soldiers on board perished. Troops on shore iu the same area discovered two - mora enemy barges, each carrying 50 soldiers. The* barges were in enclosed water up a river, awaiting a chance to sneak to sea. All the enemy troops were. either killed or drowned when their riddled barges sank under them. A war correspondent suggests that all these enemy troops were trying to escape from New Georgia. General MacArthur's communique to-day reveals the loss of tbe destroyer Gwin following the' naval action in Kula Gulf earlv on Tuesday morning. The Jananese lost one light cruiser, and three destroyers sunk, and two destroyers probably sunk':