600 TONS A DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21150, 19 July 1943, Page 4

600 TONS A DAY

MUNDA’S BOMBING GUNS BLAST AIR BASE US. FORCES CLOSING IN (By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 19. Some of the Japanese garrison defending Munda airfield on New Georgia Island appear to be withdrawing to the hills. The cost of capturing this important base may not be so high as has been expected, according to an Australian war correspondent in the area. Four days of murderous fighting have the American troops within two miles ol the airfield. . Allied planes operating m direct support of the ground forces have attacked targets only three-quarters of a mile from the landing strips. The Munda garrison has been variously estimated to number between 5000 and 10,000 troops. The strongest resistance is being encountered by the Americans attacking from the north. They must root out the Japanese from block-houses and deep pillbox defences. Large enemy forces have also been deployed in the jungle to harass the steadily advancing Americans in incessant sniping and savage night attacks. Defence Area .a Shambles Allied naval gurts,/shore artillery and, aerial attacks have turned the Munda defence area into a shambles. In a round-the-clock bombardment. 600 tons of high explosive bombs are daily being plastered over the Japanest, positions. “The American plan to swamp Munda with material and numerical weight seems to be working, writes a w&i* correspondent, describing these attacks. “No sooner had the hell of a mass dive-bomber raid subsided, than I heard an express train scream as our island batteries hurled yet another salvo of shells which landed before the last shiver of the bomb blast had died away. “The Japanese is an ugly customei to reckon with after dark, says a correspondent. “We can whip him by day but we have not yet found a method of matching him after sundown. He still has the edge on us in this grim night fighting. As m New Guinea and Guadalcanal’, the Americans follow their old tactics ot freezing to the ground at night and shooting at anything that moves. Deadly Night Fighting In daylight the American patrols are constantly active, creeping through the dense undergrowth and pinpointing Japanese machine-gun nests. Larger forces arc then sent to overwhelm each position with mortars, machine-guns, grenades and bayonet charges. The Japanese fight till they die. ThCn, as the sun sets, the enemy begin to take their turn m the role of aggressor. As in New Guinea and Guadalcah'ar, this is a war of incredible hardships. In the base areas the mud is thigh deep on the tr “Ten minutes travelling' and man is slimed to the very hair," comments a correspondent. Some of the most severe 'privations of the present campaign were endured by an American force which wiped out the. enemy garrison and captured a heavy shore battery at Enogai Ppint. To make a rear assault, the attackers penetrated 13 miles of terrible jungle and malarial 1 swamp country. Their maich took five days. The men were forced to jettison everything except essential fighting equipment. Over far the greater part of the journey no Japanese were met. the enemy apparently believing the terrain to be impassible. Finally, when Japanese outposts were captured, weevily nee had ito be fed to the American wounded since the attackers by then-had exhausted their supplies, tbut they took Enogai and the shore battery ot four sin. naval guns. Not the least welcome capture was the Japanese quartermaster’s store where the Americans found dry clothing, biscuits, rice, tinned vegetables, salmon, sardines and a plentiful supply of sake.