GOING WELL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 3 July 1943, Page 2

GOING WELL

ALLIED PACIFIC ATTACK ENEMY LOSE 123 PLANES OVER NEW GEORGIA MUNDA BLASTED FROM THE AIR (Rec. 1.0 p.m.) Rugby, July 2. The Pacific battle against the Japanese is going well for the Allies all along the front. United States divebombers are attacking Japanese positions not far from Munda airfield. In the last two days the Japanese lost 123 aircraft over New Georgia. » Rendova is now in our hands except for small mopping up operations. A correspondent says that on the mainland of New Guinea Americans who landed at Nassau Bay are consolidating their positions just south of Salamaua, while the Australians, who have been holding the Japanese in the Mubo area, are moving towards the coast to join up with the Americans. In the centre of the front the occupation of Tobriands and Woodlark Islands is virtually complete. In the east, in the Central Solomons, the Japanese have taken a hard knock in the air.

The correspondent says American warships have steamed up north to bombard Japanese positions in the Buin and Faisi regions and on land the Americans have overwhelmed Japanese garrisons south of Munda airfield. The whole weight of the Allied offensive is being hurled against Munda and the airfield at Kolombangara. In air battles yesterday and the day before the Japanese lost 123 aircraft. Twenty-five American aircraft are missing.

Munda is being blasted from the air from batteries on Rendova and from Allied warships. In addition, the main Japanese base at Rabaul is being blasted by American aircraft. The tactics being used are “smothering’' methods which were used in the battle for Guadalcanar.

Further details about the fighting in the early stages show that the troops put ashore at Rendova dealt with the Japanese garrison in six hours. Within two hours of landing American artillery was bombarding Munda airfield. Since then the airfield and its defences have been attacked by divebombers. torpedobombers and medium bombers, and American destroyers also bombarded Japanese positions.

There is no recent news of the fighting in New Georgia and of operations in Viru harbour, but American forces are said to be well established in the whole of the New Georgia group.— 8.0. W.