FALL OF MUNDA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25299, 9 August 1943, Page 2

FALL OF MUNDA

ENEMY DISORGANISED AMERICANS PUSHING NORTH (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 8. A special communique issued from General MacArthur’s headquarters on Friday night announced the capture of Munda. “ Munda is now in our hands,” it said. “All organised enemy resistance has ceased, and action is limited to the destruction of isolated enemy groups. Already 1671 enemy dead have been collected.” The Americans reached the eastern end of the Munda airfield on Wednesday. Tanks broke through to the coast on Thursday and closed the last avenue of escape to the Japanese defenders. On the ground and in the air the Japanese have suffered further severe setbacks during the past 48 hours. The American jungle troops who captured the Munda airfield are pushing north without encountering any opposition. The routed and disorganised Japanese troops from the airfield may have retreated into the hills in this sector. All organised resistance at Munda ceased at 3 o’clock on Thursday afternoon. The Japanese on New Georgia continue to resist at Bairoko Harbour, eight miles from Munda. Allied bombers on Saturday dropped 40 tons of explosives on enemy installations, which were also heavily strafed. The Bairoko garrison is believed to be trapped. Allied bombers and fighters have been switching to new Solomons targets. These are mainly in the BuinFaisi area of the Bougainville Group, and at Rekata Bay, in Santa Isabel Island. More than 100 bombers and fighters struck at Rekata Bay on Friday afternoon. Sixty-five tons of bombs were unloadel on bivouac areas and supply dumps, and extensive damage is believed to have been caused. Seven Zeros were shot down south of Bougainville when 30 enemy fighters engaged in a running' battle with about half their number of Corsairs. United States Navy fighters. One Corsair was lost. At Vella Lavella a Catalina on night patrol caught a large enemy barge transporting reinforcements into the area. Direct hits burned out the barge, and the Catalina, sweeping low, strafed the survivors who were flung into the sea. Strong Japanese Sortie The Japanese Air Force in the Solomons made its strongest sortie for some time when 60 dive bombers and fighters raided the Allied harbour at Rendova. They caused light casualties at a field hospital. Six enemy planes were destroyed. In New Guinea, Salamaua has again been blasted by Allied bombers. Reporting an action in this area, General MacArthur’s latest communique says: " Our heavy bombers in force attacked the area during the morning, concentrating 92 tons of high explosives within 20 minutes. A large fuel fire was started at the aerodrome, smoke rising to 2000 feet. Explosions and fires encompassed ♦he entire area, which was covered with a pall of smoke. Ground action was limited to artillery exchanges.” Our aircraft are keeping up their attacks on enemy barges along the north New Guinea coast, several being destroyed during the week-end. At Kaukenau, in Dutch New Guinea, a small enemy merchantman of about 400 tons was left stationary in a large oil slick after it had been attacked by a medium bomber.

A small Allied cargo ship has been bombed and sunk by enemy aircraft off the northern coast of Australia in the Arafura Sea. One of the crew is missing, and three others were seriously injured. Another ship rescued the survivors shortly after the attack, which was made on Friday morning. The obstinacy of the Japanese resistance at Munda has depressed some American war news analysts. The New York World Telegram says: “After 35 days of sweat and blood the American jungle fighters have finally taken Munda. Some months ago the South Pacific coin-mander-in-chief. Admiral William Halsey, boasted that he would be in Tokio by Christmas. Maybe. But If the Solomons were the only route the Japanese war at the present rate would not end in this generation.” “ The loss of Munda through the extermination of 5000 Japanese troops satisfied Tokio as much as Washington,” comments the New York Herald-Tribune. “ The sacrifice of 100,000 troops would not dc a heavy price for Tokio to pay for the advantage of keeping General MacArthur busy in these inconsequential islands for another winter.” Next Step in Offensive With Munda captured, the assault on Kolombangara Island, with its Japanese air base at Vila, is the next logical step in the Allies’ South-west Pacific offensive. This view is expressed by an Australian war correspondent in the Solomons. Heavy artillery on the northern coast of New Georgia will be able to shell Vila across the Kula Gulf—just as Munda was shelled from Rendova Island. The fall of Munda carries the Allies nearly halfway to their strategic objective, Rabaul. It will provide a bomber base just 400 miles from this key enemy South-west Pacific stronghold. Japan’s Northern Solomons bases are also brought within easy range— Kahili 125 miles, Kiets 140 miles, and Buka 220 miles. The correspondent says Munda is a valuable point for the invasion of Bougainville. generally regarded as an essential preliminary to attacks against Rabaul. With Munda in our hands, Allied warships will be able to operate farther north under cover of our land-based aircraft, which will also be given extra hours of flying time over Japanese territory. Munda is 175 miles north of Henderson Airfield in Guadalcanar, and its capture exactly one year after the Allied landing in Guadalcanar has been accompanied by a tremendous toll of Japanese ships and aircraft. In the past 12 months 96 Japanese warships and naval auxiliaries have been sunk, 18 probably sunk, and 129 damaged in the South Pacific Command area. In addition 1802 Japanese aircraft have been shot down, while the Allies lost fewer than one-quarter of that number Tire Japanese warships sunk Included two battleships, 15 cruisers, and 42 destroyers; probably sunk, an aircraft carrier, 3 cruisers, and 13 destroyers; damaged, 3 aircraft carriers, 6 battleships, 25 cruisers, and 50 destroyers. The Allied war shipping losses have been 41 sunk and 9 damaged. The sinkings included 2 aircraft carriers, 4 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, and 17 destroyers. A light cruiser, a heavy cruiser, and 5 destroyers were damaged. General MacArthur’s Message General MacArthur has sent the following message of congratulation to Admiral Halsey:—"The operations resulting in the capture of Munda represent a splendid performance, which reflects great credit, not only on you personally, but upon your local commanders and all components of the forces engaged—ground, naval, and air. Please express to them my deep appreciation of their determined and purposeful effort and my congratulations on their complete victory.”