JAPANESE ATTACKS

Grey River Argus, 27 November 1943, Page 5

JAPANESE ATTACKS

On U.S. Beach-head REPULSED ON BOUGAINVILLE ' SYDNEY. Nov. 26. The Japanese made a counterattack .against the American beachhead at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville. They were sharply repulsed, abandoning 104 dead. (Rec. 9.10) SYDNEY, Nov. 26. On BougainvilLe Island, in the Solomons, 'Japanese forces, which probably came overland, from Kieta, have made strenuous attacks against, the American beach-head at Empress Augusta Bay. The beach-head has been enlarged to an area of roughly ten thousand yards long by seven thousand yards wide. .The United States Marines drove back the Japanese, who left one hundred iand four dead on the field. The enemy assault was launched near Cape Torokina, It was supported by artillery fire. RAIDS IN NEW BRITAIN SYDNEY, Nov. 26. Nearly 400 tons of high explosives have blasted J'apanese installations at Gasmata, New Britain, during the past week. In the latest attack Liberators dropped 53 tons of bombs on supply dumps near the mouth of Bairoke River. The Gilbert Islands ENEMY NEARLY ALL DEAD WASHINGTON, Nov. 25. Mopping-up operations at Tarawa, Makin and Abemama are virtually complete, and few live Japanese remain in the Gilberts. SEVERE ENEMY AIRCRAFT LOSS WASHINGTON, Nov. 25. The U.S. Navy reported: The American carrier division covering operations in the Gilbert Islands yesterday shot down thirty-four enemy fighters, nine 'bombers and three four-engined patrol seaplanes. The carrier division’s losses were three fighters and one torpedo bomber. Jap Air Strength FALLING OFF IN GILBERTS. (Rec. 9.0.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 26. An American naval spokesman, discussing the latest navy communique on fighting in the Gilbert Islands, said that Japanese air strength had diminished steadily in the Gilberts —in planes and in the will to fight. The spokesman revealed that more than one American aircraftcarrier division (comprising two or more aircraft carriers) had operated in the area. I The Secretary for. War, Mr. H. Stimson, described the Gilbert Islands’ offensive as a series of converging attacks on the outer arc of Japanese conquests. He hoped that cracks made would develop into breaches. But it was' still a long way to Tokio. TARAWA AIRFIELD. BEING PREPARED FOR USE AGAINST MARSHALL ISLES. (Rec. 9.10) WASHINGTON, Nov. 26. Mr. .Joseph Driscoll, the “New York Herald-Triburie” correspondent at Pearl Harbour says: The Marshall Islands are likely) to be the next Allied. target. Sea bees, the Navy Construction Corps men,

have gone a'shore on Tarawa isles, taking heavy machinery, to restore the battered airfield, Which is on a four thousand yprd coral strip. This airfield is three hundred miles from the Marshall Islands.” Mr. Driscoll adds: “It is believed that another airfield will be built on Ma'kin Island, which is only two hundred miles from the Marshall Islands. _ „ Kr „ .. Mr George Horne, “New York Times” Pearl Harbour correspondent says: It will take several weeks to develop the captured Gilbert Islands as a springboard for further Allied advances. U.S RAID IN MARSHALLS " WASHINGTON, Nov. 25. The U.S. Navy reports that on Wednesday Liberator bombers raided the Emigi atoll in the Marshall Islands, north of the Gilberts. Three enemy float planes there did not attempt to intercept. Japanese Dilemma naval battle or not? SYDNEY, Nov. 25. The military correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald” says: The cheaply-won Gilbert Islands lead naturally to the Marshalls and to Nauru and Ocean Islands. Progressively aided by such air bases as Botio, the Americans will converge stage by stage upon the enemy’s two bases of Truk and Rabaul. The Japanese yielded the Gilberts rather than hazard a naval engagement, and this week’s events can be repeated almost indefinitely. The question immediately arises how long will the J'apanese permit this process of strangulation without a counter-at-tack? The only effective form of retaliation will be by the rise of sea power. However strong the enemy may be at certain points of his island perimeter, and however exhausting the fight may be to drive him out by land, the new Allied use of sea poyer gives a changed sense of value to the strategical situation. American sea power is already opening un roads to Tokio from the East. The Japanese dilemma will be made further complicated when British naval reinforcements allow of serious operations on their western Indian Ocean flank as well. The Japanese Command will then have to decide whether to meet both attacks at once or concentrate against one. Evidently disinclined to hazard a major sea engagement with the growing naval might of the United States, the Japanese now face a serious dilemma. By the continued unchallenged use of their sea power the Americans can continue to strike telling blows against Japan’s outer periphery. The nature of the enemy’s dilemma is seen in Admiral Nimitz’s carefully-calculated ■> insistence upon the imperative need for a strategical concentration of naval strength in the Pacific war. Urgency is also given to Japan’s problem by the ,repeated failures of her light naval forces in the Solomons.