MARINES’ NEW GAIN

Grey River Argus, 9 February 1943, Page 5

MARINES’ NEW GAIN

ON GUADALCANAR

Pincer Move Against Japanese [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 9.15.) NEW YORK, Feb. 7. A correspondent of the United Press of America states:— Titi. on Guadalcanar Island, twen-ty-live miles from the Henderson air field, has apparently been captured by Americans. No" Japanese resistance was offered. The American forces were compelled to cut a way through jungle, cross screams, and to traverse three thousand feet high mountains. The Navy spokesman is of the opinion that the enemy has been trapped in a “V” shaped pocket, the top of which has narrowed to fifteen miles. The “New York Times’s” Washington correspondent says:— Occupation of Titi probably is designed to establish a pincer movement in order to smash the remaining Japanese forces on Guadalcanal’. The Titi forces comprise one jaw of their pincers. The other is already moving westward from Henderson field. He adds: The Navy communique does not report how the Titi position has been established but it is pre sumed that the occupying troops separated from the main forces west of the airfield, and then slashed a way through forty miles of jungles and over mountains south of the Japanese position. WHERE ARE THE JAPS? WITHDRAWAL FROM GUADALCANAR. (Rec. 12.0) NEW YORK, Feb. 7. The “Herald Tribune’s” Washington correspondent reports: “Military experts are of the opinion that the Pincer movement at Titi was the result of the South Pacific ‘Dunkirk,’ or else a complete annihilation of the Japanese forces on Guadalcanar Island.’

NEW GUINEA FRONT

Skirmishes at Wau ALLIED AIR RAIDS. (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 8 Only intermittent patrol skirmishing is to-day reported from Wau, in north New Guinea Forty more Japanese have been killed in this area’. At Bakumbari, near the Kumusi River mouth, a further twenty Japanese stragglers were killed by AL.ed patrols. In an earlier action in this seventyi-iive enemy troops were killed. The enemy aerodrome at Lae, in New Guinea as the base for Saturday’s singularly unsuccesstul enemy air assault against Wau, has again been raided by Allied Beaufighters and Liberators. Fires were burning and buildings shattered when tne planes turned for home.

ALLIES AIR ATTACK

North of Australia FROM CELEBES TO NEW BRITAIN. (Special). (Rec. 9.0.) SYDNEY, February S. After being swept out of the skies over Wau in North New Guinea, on Saturday, "the Japanese air force in the South-west Pacific area staved on the ground on Sunday, as to-day General MacArthur’s latest communique does not mention activity by a single enemy machine, although Allied air offensives ranged from Celebes in the North West to New Britain, in the North East. Boston Island and ‘ Wangiwangi Island at the south-eastern tip ot Celebes, were reconnoitred by an Allied Hudson bomber, which damaged two Japanese luggers. A Liberator bomber killed numbers of Japanese when two troopladen fifty foot motor-barges were attacked in Riebeck Bay, in New Britain Low-level strafing forced the barges, each of which carried about seventyflve men to run ashore. One barge was left in flames.

FOUR JAP. SHIPS

Sunk in Yellow Sea BY U.S. SUBMARINE. (Rec. 11.0.) NEW YORK, Feb. 7. The “New York Times’s” Pearl Harbour correspondent cables: Lieu-tenant-Commander David White has returned from a successful submarine excursion in Japanese waters. He commented: “The Pacific used to be a pretty big ocean. To us it is now like our own backyard. We operate from one end to the other, not giving the matter a second thought.” Commander White said: “We sighted an object in the Yellow Sea, on a moonlight night, which we believed to be an island. It turned out to be a huge cargo vessel. Our first torpedo missed. The second one started a terrific explosion. The ship almost disintegrated in a tremendous sheet of yellow flames, and she sank within ’ five minutes. Our submarine crew watched the spectacle from the bridge. “Later the same night,” Commander White said, they sighted three ships. They chased them for hours, threading their way among a flotilla of fishing boats. They sank one, and probably destroyed the two others.

JAPAN’S SHIPPING

Full Maintenance Claimed (Rec. 11.0) NEW YORK, Feb. 7. A Tokio official broadcast stated that the Japanese Minister of Communications, Terajima, told the 'Diet that Japan’s merchant marine" is maintaining its prewar tonnage by building new ships, by reconditioning captured vessels, and by refloating many sunken Allied ships in the Far Eastern waters. He could not reveal the exact figures for military reasons. Terajima described the reports that Japan is facing a serious shipping shortage •as “enemy propaganda.”