WELL ESTABLISHED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 November 1943, Page 3

WELL ESTABLISHED

UNITED STATES MARINES IN BOUGAINVILLE ASTRIDE VITAL ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS 'GENERAL MACARTHUR'S PLANS & HOPES / LONDON, November 2. The Allied assault on the last Japanese stronghold in the Solomons, the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, on the west coast of Bougainville Island, is making good pro-, gress. American Marines are consolidating their positions and are now astride the communications of the 40,000 Japanese troops on the island. The Japanese were taken by surprise. JAPANESE BYPASSED PROVISION FOR FIGHTER COVER IN ATTACKS ON RABAUL (By Telegraph—Press' Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, November 2. Bougainville is the last line of defence between Admiral Halsey’s forces in the Solomons and the key Japanese base of Rabaul. This 200mile forward move to Empress Augusta Bay, bringing the Allies within 300 miles of Rabaul, will enable strengthened fighter cover for our bombers raiding that base. Only fragmentary reports of the American occupation of Empress Augusta Bay are yet available, but the seizure of this important strategic point is stated to have proceeded precisely as General MacArthur outlined his plans to war correspondents at a special weekend conference. “What I need are airfields.” declared General MacArthur. “With the airfield at Empress Augusta Bay, we can put up fighter cover in range of New Britain. My resources are limited. I have a shortage of means to hit the Japanese. Till now, we haven't been able to mount fighter cover as we need it. I have been to neutralise Rabaul, but with my limited means I cannot keep the Japanese from syphoning in reinforcements.” General MacArthur explained that while Admiral Halsey's forces landed on Bougainville, the enemy’s bases at Buka (north of Bougainville), and at Buin-Faisi (in the southern part of Bougainville) would be heavily pounded from the air. Details of these attacks have not yet been received. He added his hopes that Japan’s main fleet would come out. “I will welcome it and throw everything I can against it—but I don’t think it will come,” he said.

General MacArthur also explained that the move against Empress Augusta Bay was just another illustration of his maximum use of the limited means at his disposal, thus gaining single advantages step by step instead of launching multiple operations, which would be possible with adequate resources. The seizure of Empress Augusta Bay eliminates the strongly-held Buin-Faisi strongpoint in a cunning bypass. The evident paucity of Japanese air interference with the Allied move .indicates how thoroughly the enemy’s airfields in the northern Solomons and Rabaul have been neutralised by our recent aerial bombardments. • War correspondents in the South Pacific area say that Admiral Halsey’s bombers have dropped thousands of tons of bombs on Kahili, Kara and Ballale airfields in the past week. These fields are still unuseable. Our reconnaissance planes hover over them, and as soon as Japanese ground crews repair them flash back a signal. Allied pilots standing by take off immediately, and within an hour the fields are knocked out again. Bitter fighting is likely as the Allied land forces squeeze toward the' principal Japanese strongpoints round the southern tip of Bougainville. Some unofficial reports from that area have placed the number of the enemy garrison as high as 45,000. new enemy, plane POWERFUL DIVE-BOMBER LONDON, November 1. The Japanese have introduced a new dive-bomber, seven specimens of which were shot down by Lightnings covering the landings on the Treasury Island group, says the Associated Press correspondent on Guadalcanal.. Pilots said the craft was half as large again as the Dauntless dive-bomber, and has a sealevel speed of 270 miles an hour. It should carry about 20001bs of bombs, compared with the 1200Ibs carried by the Aichi 99, which it has apparently replaced.