U.S. TROOPS ON GUADALCANAR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 9 February 1943, Page 5

U.S. TROOPS ON GUADALCANAR

JAPANESE FORCES TRAPPED STRONG POSITION ESTABLISHED Rugby, Feb. 7. An American Navy communique says that the American forces have established a strong position at Titi, half a mile west of Marovovo, and five miles west of Cape Esperance, on the northwest coast of Guadalcanar, and placed themselves in a position to turn the Japanese western flank. No enemy resistance is reported. Patrol operations are progressing satisfactorily. Yesterday morning small groups of American planes bombed the enemy positions on Kolombangara Island, New GeorgiaDuring the evening Dauntless divebombers, with a Wildcat escort, bombed Munda, New Georgia. All the American planes returned. APPARENTLY OVERLAND A correspondent of the United Press of America says that Titi, 25 miles from Henderson field, has apparently been captured. No resistance was offered. Our forces were compelled to cut their way through the jungle, cross streams and traverse 3000 ft mountains. The navy spokesman is of the opinion that the enemy is trapped in a V-shaped pocket the top of which has been narrowed to 15 miles.

The Washington correspondent of “The Times” says the occupation of Titi is probably designed to establish a pincer movement in order to smash the remaining Japanese forces on Guadalcanar. The Titi forces comprise one jaw of the pincers, and the other is already moving westward from Henderson field. The communique does not report how the Titi position was established, but it is presumed that the occupying troops separated from the main forces west of the airfield and then slashed their way through 40 miles of jungles and over the mountains south of the Japanese positions.

The New York “Herald-Tribune’s” Washington correspondent reports that military experts are of the opinion that the pincer movement at Titi will result in a South Pacific Dunkirk or else the complete annihilation of the Japanese on Guadalcanar. —P.A.