Evening star., 1943-09-06
Howifzer Action Sfops
Infiltration Of Japs
On New Georgia
1y the Associnted Press


was one OF the most decisive factor
IN American conquest of Ney
Georgia and its Munda airfield.
Generals, correspondents and in
fantry doughboys are unanimous OF
that. Japanese prisoners give tn,
same verdict.
Maj. George p. Guthrie. ss, Co
iumbus, Ohio, and Maj. Robert w
Kenny, Al, Providence, r. l., wer,
two key men behind those fiels
howitzers-guns that actually wer
kissed by infantry officers and mer
In sratefulness for saving theil
lives.
As an Ohio State sophomore o.
10. Mai. Guthrie ran the l20-yare
high hurdles in the 1924 Pari.
Olympic games. He was buyins
highway materials and equipment
In the Ohio State governments
purchasing department when called
to active duty with his National
Guard outfit in 1941.
Neatly mustached Mai. Kenny
was a Brown University philologist
in love with lovely letters" when
his National Guard regiment was
called to service His love for
literature now ranks second to in
fatustion with his guns.
Success IL Explained.
''Our artillery accomplished two
important things explained Maj.
Guthrie.
"First, we messed up completely
the Japs' tactic of night inflltra-
ton and harrassing attack In the
jungle. That was the kind Of thing
they got away with on Guadal-
canal and made things so tough
there.
Our night artillery fire just pin
ned 'em to the ground. They gave
up trying that kind of stuff.
Second, our shells blasted open
the jungle, sweeping away trees,
vines and foliage. Then our IN
fantry could see where the .Japs
were. once our boys could see
what they were fighting, the Job
became simple"
At the start of the Munda Often
siye, the Japanese did try their
night infiltrations to sandpaper the
nerves of front line soldiers with
Yells. derisive shouts in English, and
blasts Of closein gunfire.
Howitzers Stop Attack.
In one such attack, they would
have succeeded in surrounding and
wiping out the 43d division COM
mand post if a recklessly close
covering barrage of howitzer fire
had not stopped them.
Brig Gen. Harold Barker of Provi-
dence, r. l., division artillery COM
mander, was in the command post
pn which the enemy pressed soon
after dusk.
The superior enemy force would
have overpowered the defenders and
most of the division staff If Gen.
Barker hadn't called his howitzers
far back on Baraulu Island into
action.
: Judging his ranges entirely by
sound, Gen. Barker gradually closed
down the first gun until he could
heard shell fragments ripping
through the trees.
Finally he gave the word to the
nre director center across Roviana
Lagoon. in which Maj. Guthrie was
stationed, to open up with three
more howitzers For nearly IL
hours until dawn, the Baraulu
Island battery ringed the command
post with a protective barrage of
shells, dropping little more than so
yards outside the c. P. Perimeter.
Guns Are Kissed.
1t was the men from this post,
Maj. Guthgie said, who came out to
the howitzer battery next day and.
by God, actually kissed the guns. "
That was something to see.
Those men told us and they meant
1t, You saved our livesi'"
Throughout the New Georgia
campaign, Gen. Barker personally
did much of the scouting and
target-f finding from the front lines
Often he went out with scouting
parties into the jungle no mans
land. On at least one occasion he
was lucky to come back.
The general is all nerves and
energy. think that's why he
picked 1t. Pete Petersill for his
aide. Pete always went with the
general, and Pete is a big, rugged
guy. always calm and cool as a
cucumber" Maj Guthrie said.
One day the general and Pete
went scouting ahead of our line.
They ran into two Jap machinegun
posts. After they'd hit the first,
they found they were cut off with
the fire Of those machineguns con-
verging behind them.
Companion is Killed.
Pete rolled over to make room
for a private in depression in
the ground. just then machinegun
burst smacked the private through
the chest. He was dead in the spot
where Pete had been seconds be-
fore.
After that, the general and Pete
decided, What the hell, this is
no place to hang around. Wed
better get out Of here
On the way out a soldier ahead
OF the general was hit and killed
Pete was behind the general. A
soldier behind Pete got 1t. The
general and Pete got back alone
They were really lucky"
Artillerymen observers flying over
Munda in planes guided the fire
OF field guns effectively.
Those boys would get tired OF
not being able to see ANYTHING. +"
Maj. Guthrie reported. so they'd
come right down over the trees to
get the Japs to open up ON them.
They did that couple of times too
often. They were shot down"
One aerial observer, Lit. w, 3.
Craig, was shot down twice. but
was rescued both times by Pluto, a
crash rescue boat
Il heard him on the radio saving,
This planes on fire That was ali,
They headed out for water and we
later heard thew were r,icked nm