PACIFIC CAPTURE

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1943, Page 5

PACIFIC CAPTURE

U.S.A. TROOPS SEIZE ISLAND

JAP. SUPPLY LINE CUT (N.Z.P.A, Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, August 17. American forces have seized \ elia Lavella Island, in the Central Solomons, capturing about 3ao Japanese soldiers and sailors. The occupation of Vella Lavella, to which ance has been reported, endangers the supply fine serving the enemy garrisons at Kolombangara Island and at Bairoko Harbour, on. New Georgia. This surprise Allied move sandwiches Kolombangara between two hostile coasts —Vella Lavella and New Georgia. Kolombangara, with its fighter airfield at Vila, has been popularly suggested as a possible next Allied objective in the Solomons chain. The Americans landed on Vella Lavella on Sunday, and reports received at General MacArthur s headquarters make no mention of organised resistance. The prisoners captured include survivors from the Vella Gulf naval battle on the night of August 6, when American surface units intercepted and destroyed an enemy cruiser and three large destroyers. The other prisoners taken were apparently attempting to flee from Vila. The Japanese leaving Kolombangara must now run the gauntlet of Allied naval interception from Vella Lavella. No air strips are known to be on Vella Lavella, but its occupation, as well as placing the Allies north of Kolombanaga,. brings our forces 45 miles nearer the Jupanese bases in the Northern Solomons. IMPORTANCE OF CAPTURE (N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent) (Recd. 1.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 18. New Zealand as well as American fighter pilots provided the air cover for the Allied occupation of Vella Lavella Island, Central Solomons, last Sunday. This is reported by an Australian war correspondent who accompanied the United States force. Following the landing, Japanese aircraft made repeated efforts to attack the American ships and troops. Their attempts cost them fourteen planes. Coral snags restricted the beach space available for the landing, but the shore parties appear to have encountered no formidable enemy resistance.

Rear Admiral Wilkinson, commanding the South Pacific amphibious force, told the war correspondent that the new bridgehead is likely to be developed into an effective base, spearheading into the enemy’s Solomons territory. Vella Lavella is twenty-five miles long, and fifteen miles wide. Much of it is densely wooded, and a steep razorback mountain ridge up to three thousand feet runs almost its whole length. However, low plateaux in the northern half of the island are regarded ideal for construction of airfields and landing strips. The Japanese do not appear to have developed the natural airfield potentialities of the island. By directly menacing the already hazardous Japanese supply line, the American occupation of Vella Lavella is believed by observers virtually to clinch the destruction of whatever enemy forces are still holding out in the Central Solomons area. Rear-Admiral Wilkinson said the Japanese would be compelled to consider seriously the great cost certain toffie involved by counter moves against Vella Lavella, which is only about fifty miles from important enemy bases in the Buin Faisi area. “This is a dangerous undertaking and bv no means over,” said the Admiral, “but we will take care of any counter landing the enemy may try. Our primary objective in taking Vella Lavella is to tighten the blockade against Bairoko, New Georgia, Vila, Kolombangara,—and we hope to get still further under the enemy’s skin.” The Japanese air force made at least five raids on the beach and unloading ships on Sunday. No vessels of the American task force were hit or damaged. The only casualties were twelve soldiers killed and several wounded, when bombs fell among a shore landing party. JAPANESE LOSE 12 AIRCRAFT

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, August 17. A force of Japanese aircraft yesterday met defeat in a 25 minutes’ battle over the Watut valley, in New Guinea. Allied fighters attacked 25 enemy dive-bombers and fighters about 40 miles south-west of Lae. Twelve of the Japanese machines were shot down and two others probably destroyed. We Jost one aeroplane.' , ~,. , As a result of the general Allied ground advance near Tambu Bay, American and Australian troops now control the bitterly-contested- Roosevelt Ridge, about five track miles south of Salamaua. The Japanese left more than 200 dead behind when the position was captured after fierce fighting. Five enemy barges were destroyed or damaged by Catalinas in a sweep along the north New Guinea coast. Beaufighters attacked a small cargo ship in Jacquinot Bay, New Britain, and a large barge in Wide Bay, New Britain. Both were left unserviceable. A single enemy aeroplane dropped five bombs in the Broome area of Western Australia yesterday. They caused neither damage nor casualties. The last raid on Broome was on August 27, 1942.

ANOTHER RAID ON BORNEO

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, August 17. i Following Saturday’s record flight of 2500 miles, made by the Liberators 'which attacked Balik Papan, in Borneo, Liberators on a reconnaissance mission yesterday again attacked the oil storage tanks at Balik Papan, adding to the fires which were still smouldering there. A 6000-ton oil tanker in the harbour was set ablaze. The Liberators definitely destroyed four of six intercepting Zeros, probably destroyed a fifth, and damaged the remaining one. Before Balik Papan fell to the Japanese early last year, it was one of the world’s three main oil refinery centres. The only larger refineries were at Aruba, in the West Indies, and possibly at Bayonne, New Jersey, in the United States. Installations at Balik Papan wrecked by the Dutch included 250 oil storage tanks, each of 109,000 tons capacity.

TACTICS CRITICISED. CORRESPONDENT’S ESTIMATE SYDNEY, August 17. American and Australian methods in Pacific warfare must be combined to. beat the Japanese, in the opinion of Osmar White, who was injured in the Solomons while serving as war correspondent for Australian newspapers. Both his legs were fractured’ by bomb blast on July 26 when enemy aircraft attacked the ship on which he was travelling after having visited the Munda battle zone on New Georgia. White believes that the American art of combined land, sea, and air operations should be linked with Australian exploitation of jungle tactics. “If bush commandos had made the attack on Munda airfield,

I am convinced that it would have fallen within a few days, instead of - 38 days,” he writes. “Casualties and wastage of fine human material would have been only one-tenth of what they were. The simple expedient of sending men in small parties to live in, and familiarise themselves with, the realities of jungle life and jungle movement, for at least six weeks after the completion of their formal training—preferably on hall rations—would immeasurably increase their efficiency in battle. We must admit that we still do not possess troops and have not perfected tactics to equal the Japanese man for man in. the jungle. However satisfactory the result of the Munda affair may be, it is an inescapable fact that the Japanese defenders, though relentlessly smashed by hundreds of aeroplanes, constantly bombarded by the greatest concentration of artillery ever used in the Pacific cut off from really effective reinforcements and supply, and outnumbered, caused a six weeks’ fight for eight miles of jungle. “Everything about the American amphibious operation was perfect except the performance of the ground troops. This imperfection was not the result of lack of fighting spirit—the Americans fought with terrible and bitter courage.” White says that tne Australian jungle-trained commandos and members of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles have been the only Allied soldiers in his experience who have “outsmarted” the Japanese in the jungle. He considers that these veterans should be dispersed among the Allied troops as special instructors in jungle warfare. “The Japanese on New Georgia were superior to the Americans at might fighting—a highly important phase of the operations.” he says. “The struggle for Munda was more bitter and tougher than anything on Guadalcanal after the American landing there a year ago.” Discussing the credit side ot the Munda campaign, White emphasises the opportunity the possession of this strategic airfield gives for exploiting the Allies’ extraordinary margin ol air superiority, “The wastage of the Japanese naval forces was astonishing.” he says. “Enemy battleships could not operate in the South Pacific because of the lack of cruisers and destroyers to screen them. The whole structure of the enemy’s holdingpositions on his great island perimeter has been gravely threatened. Other war correspondents m the South Pacific also write about the lessons of the Munda fighting. An. American correspondent says: "The Pacific war must not be belittled. 11 the United States High Command is really convinced that for strategic reasons it is essential to take Bougainville and Rabaul before stopping the island-hopping plan, then it will require vastly greater forces than have vet appeared in the Pacific. War correspondents are convinced generally that it will be excessively ' costly if an attack on prepared Japanese positions is made with less than 10 to one superiority in manpower, five to one in artillery 1j re-power 5 and five to one in aircraft. COMMENT IN NEW YORK.

Challenging Osmar White’s statement that the Japanese man for man, is more than a match for Allied soldiers in the jungle, LieutenantColonel Burton Willis, formerly an officer at an advanced base in New Guinea, declared m New York On the contrary, the American soldiers out-think and out-fight the Japanese. Neither Australian nor American soldiers now have the apprehension about meeting the Japanese that they had six months ago. The morale ana spirit of the Allied forces has risen like a thermometer on a hot day, since the supplies which came slowly in the early part of the war are now arriving.” The New York “Daily Miror comments in a leading article: Mr. White’s remarks make gloomy reading, and seem to agree with the United States Navy’s estimate that Japan cannot be beaten until 194 JHowever, we do not believe anything can ever make the Japanese unbeatable. We do not believe that the Tanane.se soldier, for all his fanaticisms a match for the American warrior, trained .to think in a free, unregimented world. But we do believe that unless we strike sledge-hammer blows against, Japan now the cost of victory will be frightful and the time of peace lai distant.” KISKA SILENCE. <Rec 11.45 a.m.) , WASHINGTON, August 17. Referring to the Navy’s prolonged i l price regarding the operations against Kiska, Colonel Knox (Naval Secretary) told a Press .conference. “Colonel 8 itnS° dSed that the total strength of the United States Navy. Marine corps and the Coastguard is now 2 666,500, and by the end of the year it will be 2.861,000.