NEARING MUNDA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1943, Page 3

NEARING MUNDA

AMERICAN ADVANCE PATROLS PENETRATION TO WITHIN THREE MILES. SITUATION VERY SATISFACTORY. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 9. American advance patrols have penetrated within three miles of Munda airfield, the strategic prize on Georgia Island. in the central Solomons. They came from a force which landed on Xanana beach, six miles east of the airfield. Today’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters reports a minor clash with the Japanese near Elolo, which probably forms part of the outer rim of Munda’s defences. Progress reported represents a three, mile advance since dawn on Monday. Japanese encountered at Elolo were repulsed. No fresh reports have been received of the progress of the second arm of the American pincer force which landed at Rice anchorage, four miles north-east of Beiroko harbour, which is Munda’s supply base. War correspondents in the area write of the land situation in New Georgia as being “very satisfactory.” Official announcements refer to consolidation and patrolling activities, and these details suggest that pressure against Munda is being tightened. Observers expect stern fighting as the action develops. General MacArthur’s communique today reports an attempted landing by a party of 20 Japanese on Dugiri Island, off the north-east coast of Rendova. They were driven off by American patrols Four Japanese detachments in barges have been reported moving about the area in the past few days These do not represent large scale threats to American occupation of Rendova. The number of enemy troops concerned in these movements has been comparatively small. SHORTAGE OF AIRCRAFT. The inadequacy of the Japanese air effort in countering the current offensive indicates that the enemy is critically short of combat aircraft, says Tillman Durdin, "New York Times”’ war correspondent in the South-West Pacific. He adds that unless the Japanese are drastically reinforced soon, the time is not far off when Allied planes in the Pacific will virtually sweep them from the skies. "The Japanese have been able to make only ineffectual stabs against the American advances, leaving dozens of profitable targets unattacked,” writes Durdin. “Their major air effort has been directed to halting the Americans in New Georgia They have been able to spare only a smattering of aircraft' for operations at the other end of the fighting line in the New Guinea area. Informed quarters blame lack of aircraft for the Japanese failure to bomb our landing parties on Trobriand and Woodlark Islands. Lieut.-General Kenney’s relentless poundings of Japanese aerodromes at Rabaul throughout June, which were successful beyond expectations, greatly damaged parked aircraft. “The over-all aviation situation in the Pacific is encouraging. If Japan cannot replenish her strength soon, she will certainly be unable to hold many of her far-flung conquests, and will be forced to fall back to shorten lines of defence and communication.”

AGAIN POUNDED JAPANESE NEW GUINEA POSITIONS. SYDNEY. July 9. The Saiamaua and Mubo sectors in New Guinea received another hammering from the Allied Air Force on Thursday. While formations of bombers systematically attacked enemy ground positions over a wide area, Allied troops consolidated features captured following Wednesday’s record aerial assault. Minor patrol clashes occurred near Bobdubi and Orodubi, south of Saiamaua. A total of nearly 50 tons of bombs was dropped in all attacks on Thursday, our raids beginning in the middle of the morning and ending late in the afternoon. ACE AIRAWN AUSTRALIAN & AMERICAN. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 9. Australia’s and America's highest ranking air aces in this war have each destroyed 26 planes. The American is Captain Joseph Foss, and the Austral lian Wing Commander Clive Caldwell. In ten weeks at Guadalcanal Foss shot down 20 Zeros, four bombers, and two Scout planes. Caldwell shot down 20 German and Italian planes in England and the Middle East, and six Japanese planes since he returned to Australia. Each of these famous pilots has shot down five enemy aircraft in a single day. Now on an instruction tour of the United States, Foss says of air combat: "It is like putting your neck on a chopping block with the knowledge that you have got to get it off.” Caldwell is with a Spitfire unit in the Darwin area.