PUT TO FLIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1943, Page 3

PUT TO FLIGHT

JAPANESE NAVAL FORCE IN SOLOMONS AREA AFTER ATTEMPTED APPROACH TO NEW GEORGIA. AMERICAN TROOPS CLOSING ON MUNDA. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 12. The Japanese force of light cruisers and destroyers which was reported yesterday to be approaching New Georgia, in the central Solomons, has turned and fled northward. The warships were lasi reported 15 miles north of Kolombangara, making in the direction of the Buin-Faisi area, the Japanese naval concentration point in the northern Solomons. The Japanese warships were first sighted early on Saturday morning .by single Catalina flying-boats south of Choiscul Bay, about 40 miles north of New Georgia. Our attacks failed. Later, Liberator bombers picked up the enemy force just 10 miles north of Munda, scoring two direct hits. No subsequent attacks have been reported, but Allied aircraft are searching the Kula Gulf for enemy ships. 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 reinforcemnets or supplies for the beleaguered garrison at Munda. General 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 Haiboui, 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. American forces are about to launch a strong attack against the Japanese positions guarding Munda airfield. Big numbers of assault troops have reached their jumping-off positions flanking this first important strategic prize of the Allied Pacific offensive. , The Tokio radio has admitted that for some- days United States patrols have been operating within two miles of Munda airfield. Meanwhile Allied artillery has been transported from Rendova Island to positions flanking the Munda defences and will undoubtedly fill an important role in the final attack on the airfield. The Allied air force is keeping up its battering of the area. Yesterday, 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 yesterday dropped 40 tons of bombs on the Kahili aerodrome.

TERRIFIC AIR POUNDING OF ENEMY POSITIONS IN NEW GUINEA. RABAUL ALSO BLASTED. SYDNEY, July 12. Japanese positions in the Sala-maua-Mubo sector of New Guinea are targets for the heaviest air attacks in the New Guinea,, war. For the fourth successive day, Allied bombers yesterday 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 or 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 which were 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 of Rabaul, from which aircraft could go to the assistance of the Japanese forces in the central Solomons, was heavily attacked before dawn yesterday. Liberators and Flying Fortresses! unloaded 35 tons of bombs on the runway and dispersal area at Vunakanau aerodrome. As the last of our bombers left the target area, a big explosion occurred. 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 the Huon Gulf-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 was 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 sinking the enemy barges.