Green Island Airstrip New In Use

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 57, 10 March 1944, Page 5

Green Island Airstrip New

) (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.’ j (Special Australian Correspondent.) s Received Thursday, 10.10 p.m. i SYDNEY, Marcli 0. J The American Marines who landed on Willaumez Penisula (New Britain) l on Monday are now encountering 3 strong Japanese resistance. Their iancl--3 ing was made against only light opposition, hut fresh enemy forces have . oeen moved into position and their i counterattacks are expected to develop t in intensity. s This new Allied landing has increased 3 the threat to Rahaul, 170 miles to the l northwest. Despite stronger enemy pres- ; sure the Marines have consolidated i tneir bridgehead. 1 To the northwest in the Admiralty . Islands American troops smashed a 2 Japanese attempt to land on the west L coast of Dos Negros. An enemy force attempting to come ashore from barges , was completely wiped out. The bodies i of several hundred additional Japanese i dead have been found and buried. American planes are now using the - strategically important Momote air- • field. The use of this airfield will bring J the Western Caroline Islands witliin • easy Allied bomber range. Meanwhile the occupied areas of Los Negros are 3 being developed rapidly as a base for 1 further Allied offensive operations. L Tho American troops driving north • are to-day reported to have captured 1 Papitalai mission despite opposition. To do this they had to cross Papitalai 1 harbour, their water hop being support- ’ ed by a heavy naval bombardment of \ Japanese batteries on the covering l islands in Seeadler Harbour. 5 In New Guinea the Allied ground forces pushing west along the Rai ‘ coast have now reached a point 35 1 miles west of Saidor and large quanti- ’ ties of Japanese supplies have been ; captured. , North of New Ireland the airstrip on Green Island is now in use by | Allied planes. Green Island was cap | tured by New Zealand and American . troops last month and is only 130 miles from Rabaul. , Meanwhile the daily aerial pounding | of Rabaul continues. Following the | customary night harassing raids a | strong force of Solomons-based bombers : and fighters in a midday sweep dropped 55 tons of bombs on the Lakunai and Tobera aerodromes. Kavieng (New Ireland) was also the target for a midclay attack, 62 tons of bombs being dropped on the aerodrome and waterfront areas. A pier was set on fire and buildings destroyed. It has been officially announced that fighters of tho United States Fifth Air Force yesterday destroyed their 1500th. Japanese plane. The Command has lost only 134 lives in its two years 'of combat and has destroyed more than one-sixth of Japan’s estimated firstline aircraft strength at the beginning of the war.