Evening star., 1943-12-27
Marines Make ? More Lundinos
On New Britain; No Men Lost;
Eisenhower Sees Victory in IA "A
Beochheuds Set Up
In Cape Gloucester
Area in Z Hours

MAP and Photo on Page A-3)
By the Associated Press.
ADVANCED ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, New Guinea, Dec.
27-United States marine S
swarmed ashore in two simul-
taneous landings in the Cape
Gloucester area on the western
tip of New Britain yesterday to
establish second invasion front
on Japan's island stronghold in
the Southwest Pacific.
Within two hours of both landings
by veterans of the Guadalcanal cam
paign. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
headquarters announced today, both
beachheads were firmly established
without the loss of man.
A heavy aerial and naval bonn
bardment accompanied the land
ingS
One ship-a small escort vessel
was lost and three were damaged in
the operations in addition to seven
planes destroyed The Japanese,
however, lost SO bombers and IS
fighters in desperate attempts to
stem the invasion tide
Domination of Straits.
The landings, carried out in the
early morning hours, secure COM
plete domination of the Vitiaz
Straits between New Britain and
New Guinea.
The first wave of leathernecks hit
the shell-torn beach of Bergen Bay
at 7:30 am, December 26 4:30 pm
December 25, Eastern war time) and
apparently encountered no serious
opposition from japanese ground
forces,
United States 9Th Army troops
severed the western route of the en-
envy supply line from Rabaul,
Japan's chief base on New Britain,
when they landed at Arawe on the
southwest coast of the island, about
60 miles from Cape Gloucester.
The main landing on the strategic
cape was made near the foot of the
muchly- bombed Target Hill, approx
mately miles east of Cape Glouces-
ter and it's airdrome. At the same
time, a second marine force went
ashore a few miles southwest of
Gloucester.
American forces also coupled Long
Island in Vitiaz Straits.
Reports from the headquarters of
Mai Gen. William H. Rupertus of
Washington, commanding the in
vasion troops, said his men, the ma
iority of them veterans of Guadal- |
canal, were Systematically pushing
through the jungle trails toward the
Cape Gloucester airorome.
Climax to Bombardments.
The landings came as climax to
q series of aerial bombardments of
scale new to the Pacific theater,
Nearly $500 tons of bombs were
dropped on the vulnerable Cape
Gloucester area in almost daily raids
beginning December |.
In beating off japanese aerial
counterattacks Allied flyers showed
the same superiority which marked
heavy weekend raids on enemy
bases on New Britain and elsewhere
in the Pacific area.
Allied planes shot down at least
II and probably 80 japanese air
craft In three attacks on Rabaul.
At Kavieng. New Ireland, north OF
New Britain. the Japs lost one de-
stroyer. two large cargo ships and
other smaller craft.
The japanese sent strongly-eS-
corted medium and dive bombers
against the Cape Gloucester beach,
heads and shipping. They were de-
feated at every turn, losing SO bomb
ers and Is fighters.
The one ship which the enemy
managed to sink was caught by a
direct hit. The three others suffered
minor damage from near misses.
Growing Power Cited.
Gen. Macarthur, in a special COM
munique, said the Cape Gloucester
campaign presages the Allies grow
ing command of the outer Bismark
Sea on the sea lane to Truk, the
Philippines and the Netherlands
Indies BY advancing our air bases,
it increases the air threat to
Rahaul's supply lanes and will short
ly bring the Kavieng and Admiralty
Islands area within the decisive
reach of our land-based air attack.
The Admiralty Islands are west of
New Britain.
The principal landing on Cape
Gloucester was between Bergen Bay
(See PACIFIC, Page ABB