Evening star., 1943-12-13
Batt|eships Accent
Challenge 10 Japs
By Attack on Nauru
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated rress.
PEARL HARBOR, Dec. 13.-
The American Navy's invitation
to the japanese feet to come
out and fight bore a postscript
today written by battleships
which participated in the attack
on Nauru Island, west of the
Gilberts.
Admiral Chester w. Nimitz an
nounced yesterday that the fleets S
big boys" added their steel to the
deluge which carrier planes and
surface craft poured onto Nauru
December 8.
Nauru, Japanese air base and
phosphate producing center, is
about $50 statute miles west and
slightly south of the Gilbert Islands
which American forces wrested from
the japanese last month. 1t has
been bombed by air before, but never
has the Navy announced that our
capital ships have fired their guns
so close to the big enemy sea and
air base of Truk, 1900 miles to the
northwest.
Jap installations Smashed.
In the Nauru attack, installations
were smashed and 10 Japanese
planes destroyed. Two United States
planes were lost and one of our de-
stroyers received minor damage from
shore fire
After the Tarawa-Makins successes
in the Gilberts. Toxic radio said our
invasion constituted threat to the
Japanese held Marshalls and pre-
sages a real decisive battle of the
fleets"
Since then, the Marshalls have
been hit repeatedly by United States
planes. In an attack Thursday, Ad-
miral Nimitz said, an enemy cargo
ship and escort patrol vessel were
strafed near Jaluit Atoll.
The attack on the Marshalls and
Nauru, the last one emphasized by
presence of the battleships, was in
line with Admiral Nimitz's remark
after the Gilbert fighting that I'VE
shall continue constant pressure on
the Japs."
Would Welcome Jap Fleet.
To Tokio's vague talk about a
decisive battle of the fleets" Secre-
tar7 of the Navy Knox remarked
that If the Japanese had brought
their whole fleet from Truk out
there We would have been delighted
to have them come"
Liberator bombers of Gen. Douglas
MacArthur's command in the South
west Pacific made $500 and 2,400
mile roundtrips from Australia to
Boreno and Celebes Island, respec- |
lively.
The flights Friday night brought
destruction to oil refneries and
storage tanks at Balikpapan, on the
southeast coast of Borneo, and to
wharves at Makassar, big port on the
the southwest coast Of Celebes Is !
land. 1t was the third raid on
Balikpa pan and the fifth on Makas-
sar.
Australian Cavalry Fights.
Gen MacArthurs communique to-
day made the first reference to Aus
tralian cavalry fighting on New
Guinea. The horsemen and in
fantry met the japanese in sharp
clashes in the Ramu River Valley
Saturday.
Australian infantry, tanks and
artillery overcame stiff opposition to
advance l mile up the Huon
Peninsula coast to the SoWi River. |
The enemy was driven from pre-
pared positions in precipitous Tunom
River Valley, leaving more than 100
dead
Americans repulsed a Japanese
counterattack Thursday in the
northeast sector of Empress Augusta
Bay on Bougainville Island in the
North Solomons. The Americans
have established an air strip here,
within fighter plane distance Of
Rabaul, the enemy harbor and air
base on New Britain Island.
CA Domei broadcast recorded by
the Associated Press in New York
said eight bombers participated in
and attack on MakaSsarD