THE MID-PACIFIC

Grey River Argus, 22 December 1943, Page 5

THE MID-PACIFIC

Japs Killed in Gilberts 3000 TROOPS AND 1500 CIVILIANS NEW YORK. Dec. 20. The Tokio official radio states:— Three thousand Japanese troops and 1500 civilians in the Japanese Naval Service were killed when United States forces landed at Tarawa and Makin Islands, in the Gilbert Islands. The American invasion force is estimated at 50.000 men Before these overwhelming’ numbers, the Japanese forces died heroically to the last man. In the final charge against the invaders on November 25 the garrison Commander, Rear-Admiral Kenji Shibazaki, was killed. FURTHER U.S. AIR RAIDS. IN MARSHALL ISLANDS. p.A. WASHINGTON, D(Tc7 21. An announcement from the U.S'. Pacific Fleet Headquarters on Sun-

day morning stated: United States Army planes attacked aerodrome installations on Mill Atoll, in the Marshall Islands on Saturday afternoon. They were intercepted by four Japanese fighters. One of these was shot down. Another was probably shot down. Several of our planes were damaged. Army fighters and bombers strafed Mili. They destroyed one medium bomber and two Zeros on the ground. Eight Zeros attacked our formation. One Zero whs snot down. Heavy machine-gun fire was encountered. We lost two planes. U.S. Army heavy bombers again raided Mili at noon on Sunday. They dropped thirty tons of bombs. An intercepting fighter slightly damaged one of our aircraft. . , On Saturday night a Catalina search plane bombed and set on fire a large transport at Kwaljalem Enemy planes dropped three bombs at Tarawa before dawn Saturday, but without causing damage.. PHOTOGRAPHER KILLED. SYDNEY, Dec. 21. An Australian war photographer, Harold Dick, aged 26, was killed m an air accident in Queensland on Sunday. He was returning from Arawe, where he took pictures ot the American landing last Wednesday. The pictures were published throughout Australia last Sunday. General admiration has been expressed for the wav Dick covered the Arawe landing. He left a widow and a seven-weeks’-old son.