BAIROKO FALLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24675, 30 August 1943, Page 3

BAIROKO FALLS

SOLOMONS BASE JAPANESE ESCAPE NEW GEORGIA CLEARED STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 29 United States forces have occupied Bairoko Harbour, the last Japanese stronghold on New Georgia Island, Central Solomons. The occupation was made last Thursday and was unopposed. The Japanese apparently had escaped by night in small craft, probably to Kolombangara Island, 15 miles north across the Kula Gulf. General Mac Arthur's communique says that all organised resistance on New Georgia Island has ceased, and the campaign for the island has thus been completed in 59 days. • The Japanese abandoned a considerable quantity of equipment, including vehicles. They also left a plentiful supply of food. The Japanese outposts had earlier offered bitter resistance to the American forces closing on Bairoko from Munda and Enoga Inlet. Smaller Islands Occupied Baanga Island, flanking the American positions at Munda, and eight smaller islands west of Baanga have also been occupied by Allied forces. An Australian war correspondent in the area suggests that the successful conclusion of the New Georgia operations implies a satisfactory decision in the campaign for the entire Solomons. Japan's operational bases in the group

are now restricted to the Bougainville area. The enemy garrison of possibly 8000 men on Kolombangara Island is closely blockaded and faces eventual starvation. Smaller garrisons on Choiseul and Santa Ysabel Islands can be ignored. Bougainville can bo neutralised from the air and, although it is a final stepping stone in the Solomons chain it may be unnecessary to occupy it before launching an all-out assault on the enemy's key Southern Pacific base of Rabaul, New Britain. Possibility of Evacuation A spokesman at Admiral Halsey's Southern Pacific headquarters says the Japanese over a period of time might be able to evacuate part of their beleaguered Kolombangara garrison by the use of small boats at night, but they would run the gauntlet of Allied naval craft, which have already intercepted and sunk many evacuation boats. The plight of the Japanese on Kolombangara is worse than that of the Kiska garrison, in the Aleutians. Just as the American occupation of Attu cut the enemy's supply line to Kiska, eo the American occupation of Vella Lavella cuts his supply line to Kolombangara.

WIDESPREAD BOMBING SHIPPING AND BARGES DESTROYER SET ON FIRE (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. An*. 29 Widespread attacks by Allied bombers and fighters on Japanese shipping and barges in the South and South-west Pacific areas are reported in to-day's communique from General Mac Arthur's headquarters. The attacks emphasise Allied aerial dominance through the acceleration of supplies to General MacArthur's command. Long-range fighters at dawn raided John Albert Harbour at Carove Island in the Yitu .Group, north of New Britain, destroying three small coastal vessels and five barges. A 2500-ton cargo ship north-east of Massau Island, New Ireland, was bombed and damaged. Medium bombers scored three direct hits on the Gori River bridge at Bogadjim, New Guinea, 011 the main route to the south. In the Solomons area, escorted heavy bombers attacked the Kahili aerodrome at Bnin, Bougainville. Fourteen of 30 intercepting enemy fighters were shot down in a running combat when heavy bombers attacked Rekata Bay, on Santa Ysabel Island, causing explosions and fires. Liberators bombed three large Japanese destroyers north-west of Rekata Bay. A 5001b. bomb hit one destroyer, setting it on fire. Fighters destroyed a small cargo ship and two barges near Ganonga Island, and off the coast of Choiseul Island fighters destroyed three patrol boats. ATTACHING SALAMAUA CLIMAX APPROACHING (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. The battle for the Japanese base of Salaniaua, New Guinea, is moving steadily toward a climax. The latest despatches indicate that the Australian forward units, infiltrating into the enemy's defence positions, are still established on the Malolo Ridge, :a dominating razorbaek about five miles from the Salamaua air strip. Other Australian forces already hold strong positions commanding the airfield. WEIGHT AGAINST JAPAN (Reed. 7.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 28 Hinting at new -blows against the Japanese, the Secretary for the Navy Colonel W. F. Knox, addressing university students, said sea and air power would continue to provide the big punch in the Pacific until Allied troops landed on the shores of Japan. Since the attack on Pearl Harbour the bulk of the American Navy's sea and air power had been employed in the Pacific theatre. Moreover, the navy had assigned the bulk of its new combat ships for battle against the powerful Japanese adversary. „

VISIT TO NEW GUINEA (Ileal. 7.'20 p.m.) SYDNEY. Aug. Ql) The United States Under-Secretary for War, Mr. H. P. Patterson, has arrived in New Guinea' for important conferences with General MaeArthur. He travelled in the plane in which he flew from the United States to Australia. Ho was greeted at an operational airport by General MaeArthur and other high American officers. WAR AGAINST JEWS NEW YORK. Aug. 28 The Jewish population of Europe, which was 8,300,000 when Hitler came to power, has been reduced by 5,000,000 as the result of the Nazi war against the Jews. The Institute of Jewish Affairs gives these figures in a long survey. More than 3.000,000 Jews have been destroyed by planned starvation, forced labour, deportations, pogroms and methodical About 1.800,000 of those uho have escaped have been saved by wigraticji