2000 JAPANESE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1943, Page 4

2000 JAPANESE

KILLED OR TAKEN PRISONER

AMERICAN ATTACK ON ENEMY CONVOY. DETAILS OF RECENT SUCCESS. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Nearly 2000 Japanese, attempting to make a landing on Vella Lavella Island, in the Central Solomons, perished or were taken prisoner when American naval units on Tuesday night destroyed the greater part of an enemy barge convoy in the Vella Gulf. Not more than 300 Japanese reached the island. Thirty large barges transported the enemy troops, the convoy having the escort of four destroyers. When the American warships intercepted this force the enemy destroyers fled for home. Three of them were hit and one was probably sunk in a half-hour engagement fought in bright moonlight. This naval clash was reported in General MacArthur’s communique yesterday, the details of the destruction of the Jauanese landing force having been released by Admiral Halsey’s headquarters. After the enemy destroyers had been routed, the American warships turned their attention to the troop-laden barges, destroying most of them. The surprise United States occupation of Vella Lavella Island last Sunday placed our forces across the Japanese supply line to some 8000 troops, mainly garrisoning the Bairoko Harbour in New Georgia and Vila in Kolombangara. These garrisons may now be blockaded and trapped. War correspondents in the Solomons pi’ophesied earlier enemy attempts at a counter invasion. Vella Lavella is one of the least known Solomons Islands. It is volcanic and contains many sulphur deposits, which have never been exploited. The island lies 45 miles north-west of New Georgia and between enemy-held bases on Kolombangara and Bougainville. Before the war there Were ten whites, two Chinese and 200 natives on Vella Lavella. NAVAL LOSSES. In less than seven weeks in the Central Solomons the Japanese have lost seventeen destroyers, four cruisers, about eighty barges and a 9000-ton seaplane tender. In addition six destroyers probably have been sunk and eight damaged. In the same period the Allied reported naval losses have been one cruiser and two destroyers. American pilots, who completed the destruction of the Japanese air armada at Wewak in the second day’s big attack found enemy fighters waiting for them, “sitting high up in the clouds.” Zero pilots showed suicide determination to stop the Allied bombers getting through but they were no match for our escorting Lightning fighters. Of 30 enemy fighters which were in the air 28 were shot down. A number of American planes received severe damage but all except three returned to their bases.