The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-31
$50 Jops Die
In Battle


New Guinea, Dec. 31-CUP)-U. S.
Marines in Northwestern New Brit
ain killed more than 500 japanese
In capturing the key Cape Glouces-
ter airdrome and $50 others in beat
ing off counter-a attacks on their
glanks, 1t was announced today.
"Or losses were unbelievably
light" Lieut.. Gen. Walter Kruger,
commanding American forces on
New Britain, said in a special an
nouncement.
The jungle veterans Of Guadal-
canal won the two bonb-battered
eirstrips with bayonet charges, back
ed by me-throwers, tanks and ar
tillery, Wednesday night and Thurs
day morning, just five days after
the J Swarmed ashore 275 miles
southwest of the japanese bastion
Nf Rebaul.
The victory ended all organized
resistance on Cape Gloucester and
The remnants of a Japanese force
estimated originally at several
thousand fled to the hills behind the
cape. With the capture of the air.
frome, the Americans completed
their control of the western APP
breaches to Rebaul and mounted a
Growing threat to enemy shipping
bnd bases throughout the Bismarck
Sea.
!. Kruger sent the news Of the cap
ture of the cape to Macarthur with
The message:
II have the honor to present you
Cape Gloucester as a New Years
present
Macarthur responded with a per-
Eonal visit to Kreuger's field head
quarters presumably to plot the
next step in the southwest Pacific
campaign.
Conference
After an hour long conference,
Macarthur and his party took of
in his new command Flying Fort
ress, "Bataan," for an aerial sur
vey Of New Guinea's Markham and
Ramu valleys and the north coast
Of the Huon Peninsula, where Aus
tralian forces have gained new
ground against the Japanese. Ma
jor Henry Goodman of Palo Alto
Calf, was at the controls.
American Liberators, Mitchells
and Marauders paved the way for
the successful storming of the Cape
Gloucester airdrome with 256-ton
aerial assault while artillery laid
down a rolling barrage against
enemy defenses.
I Kreuger's special announcement
eaid more than 500 Japanese bodies
already had been counted on and
around the Cape Gloucester air
strips, with the possibility that still
eAhers remained in the jungle.
Another 200 bodies were counted
en the Bergen Bay perimeter of the
AAin Marine beachhead. while so
were killed during a futile enemy
counter attack on the secondary
American beachhead near TauaI on
the west coast of Cape Gloucester.
Japanese prisoners were taken by
the Tauli forces.
i Il Repair Strip
Combat engineers began the task
Of repairing the bomb-pitted air.
strips for Allied bombers and fight
ers almost as soon as they had
been cleared of the enemy. The air
drome should be ready for use with
ing q matter Of days.
, From Cape Gloucester. Allied
planes can halt the movement OF
barges from New Guinea along the
northern shore Of New Britain to
Rabaul, keystone OF the japanese
Idefenses In the Southwest Pacific,
and mount increasingly heavy raids
on Rabaul itself.
i The capture Of the airdrome also
probably will lead to intensified at
tacks on enemy shipping and bases
throughout the Bismarck Sea, in
cluding Kavieng, New Ireland, and
the Admiralty Islands, all Of which
have been brought within the range
Of Allied fighters.
The Marines covered the tive
miles from their Silimati Point
beachhead to the airstrips at the
tate Of a mile day and the VIC
tory came only is days after other
Americans-revealed today to be
Aismounted Texas cavalry - made
their first landing on New Britain
at Arawe, SO miles southwest OF
I. Cape Gloucester.
Control Start
With both Arawe and Cape
Gloucester In their hands, the
americans won full control OF the
40-mile- wide Dampier Strait. sep
arating New Britain and New
ctainea.