ISOLATION OF MUNDA

Southland Times, Issue 25704, 13 July 1943, Page 5

ISOLATION OF MUNDA

AMERICANS NEAR DEFENCES ENEMY WARSHIPS FLEE (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 12. The Japanese force of light cruisers and destroyers, which was reported on Sunday to be approaching New Georgia, in the central Solomons, has turned and fled northwards. The warships were last reported 15 miles north of Kolombangara, making in the direction of the Buin-Faisi area, a Japanese naval concentration point in the northern Solomons. No fresh aerial attacks against the ships have been reported, but observers consider it unlikely that the enemy force was able to reach New Georgia to land reinforcements or supplies for the beleaguered garrison at’Munda. General Douglas MacArthur’s latest communique makes no reference to the land situation at Munda, where the threat to the garrison has been increased by the establishment of a road block between the airfield and Bairoko harbour, to the north. This completes the isolation of Munda. At the same time the American forces which landed at Rice anchorage, east of Bairoko, and at Zanana are closing in against the airfield’s defences. The Allied Air Force in keeping up its battering of the area. On Sunday strong formations of Avengers and Dauntless dive-bombers dropped 52 tons of high explosives on anti-aircraft positions and bivouac areas at Bibelo hill, 300 yards from the Munda airstrip. Our planes are also maintaining pressure against the northern Solomons, from which area the Japanese might be able to launch counter air action. Liberators on Sunday dropped 40 tons of bombs on Kahili aerodrome. BIG AIR_ RAIDS JAPANESEJPOSITIONS (Rec. 9.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 12. Japanese positions in the SalamauaMubo sector are targets for the heaviest air attacks of the New Guinea war. For the fourth successive day Allied bombers on Sunday were out in strength, dropping nearly 50 tons of bombs on objectives which earlier had taken a terrific pounding. • Mitchell medium bombers were prominent in these raids, concentrating particularly on the Bobdubi area, south of Salamaua. Zeros made three attempts at interception and it is reported that five enemy fighters were shot down for certain, as well as two others probably destroyed. Two of our escorting Lockheed-Lightnings are missing. The Japanese also lost four Zeros over Babo, in Dutch New Guinea, on Saturday when 10 enemy fighters intercepted Liberators raiding the aerodrome. One Liberator was lost in combat.

Three Japanese float-planes and one flying-boat were hit when our planes attacked the enemy seaplane base at Taberfane, in the Aru Islands. Japan’s key southern Pacific base, Rabaul, from which aircraft could go to the assistance of the Japanese forces in the central Solomons, was heavily attacked before dawn on Sunday. Liberators and Flying Fortresses unloaded 35 tons of bombs on the runway and dispersal area c.t Vunakanau aerodrome. As the last of our bombers left the target area a big explosion occurred and several large fires were observed. General MacArthur’s communique today reports the sinking by Allied surface units on, Saturday of four loaded enemy supply barges in Huon Gulf, in the Salamaua area. This is the first time the use of Allied surface craft along this section of the north New Guinea coast has been reported. It has not been revealed what type of naval craft were engaged, but it is known that speedy patrol torpedo-boats were used in the recent American landings at Nassau Bay. Some commentators suggest that craft of this type were probably responsible for the sinking of the enemy barges. CONFIDENCE IN AMERICA PACIFIC "OFFENSIVE NEW YORK, July 11. Qualified observers in Washington are supremely confident that the Allies will attain their immediate objectives in their Pacific offensive, says the Washington correspondent of The New York Times—but a bigger question remains unanswered. That question is: “Are General MacArthur’s forces sufficiently powerful to continue fighting after the fall of the present objectives until the more important bases to the north and north-west are taken?” If General MacArthur’s forces are . not strong enough to continue their victorious push without pausing for recovery, reinforcement and consolidation of the newly-won positions a delay similar to that following the fall of Guadalcanar may follow. American strategists envisage the following schedule for the Allied advance: Munda, Bougainville, Buka and Rabaul, with a clean-up of New Guinea possibly accompanying the latter phase. Then comes the big strategic problem —whether the Allies will strike boldly to the north towards the main Japanese naval base at Truk, courting a naval engagement with the Japanese Fleet, and thence to Tokyo, or whether they will pause to reclaim the Philippines and the East Indies. The Washington correspondent of the Wall Street Journal states that General MacArthur commands respect at the White House as a strategist. The new Pacific drive is a test of “the island by island” campaign. If New Guinea and Rabaul topple within four to six months the theory will have been proved. Otherwise Allied strategy will be limited to direct punches against Japan from China and this means retaking Burma first. JAPANESE”POSITIONS AT MUNDA American Attack Planned (Rec. 7 pm.) SYDNEY, July 12. American forces are about to launch a strong attack against the Japanese positions guarding Munda airfield. Big numbers of assault troops have reached jumping-off positions flanking this first important strategic prize of the Pacific offensive. Tokyo radio admitted that for some days United States patrols have been operating within two miles of Munda. It is believed that the mission of the Japanese naval task force now in the Solomons Sea is to relieve the increasing pressure on Munda. Comprising an undisclosed number of light cruisers and destroyers, the force was last re-

ported in Kula Gulf, east of Kolombangara, near the scene of the defeat of the last Japanese naval force. Bad weather has screened the second force in its dash from the northern Solomons towards the eastern entrance of the Kula Gulf. The Japanese warships were first sighted early on Saturday morning by a Catalina flying-boat south of Choiseul Bay, about 40 miles north of New Georgia. Our attacks failed. Later Liberator heavy bombers picked up the force 10 miles north of Munda, scoring two direct hits. No subsequent attack has been reported, but aircraft are searching between New Georgia and Kolombangara for the ships. Meanwhile, Allied artillery which has been transported from Rendova to positions flanking Munda’s defences will undoubtedly fill an important role in the attack against the airfield. ATTACK ON HAIPHONG FREIGHTER LEFT SINKING (8.0.W.) RUGBY, July 11. American bombers have been effective in China and Burma. A Chungking communique states: “A very large formation of Liberators at-' tacked Haiphong on Thursday and one 8000-ton Japanese freighter was left sinking. Hits were scored on the docks and manufacturing plant. Enemy troops in South Anhwi who have been counter-attacking in the past 10 days were thrown back by the Chinese. In Yunnan after the capture of one locality the Chinese have beaten back a Japanese counter-attack.” A communique issued in New Delhi states: “American bombers yesterday attacked enemy supply bases and installations in northern Burma. At Samprabrum there were direct hits on three large buildings. At Monkong bombs fell In the target area. At Kamanithi fires were started. All the American planes returned.”