Evening star., 1943-07-04
All jap Efforts to Halt Allied Drive
In Solomons Area Hurled Back in
WIDESPREAD Sea and Air Clashes
Plane Toll Raised
To 1884,; Rendovo
Ship Attack Fails
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
AUSTRALIA, Sunday, July A.
One hundred Japanese planes
have been routed in the last two
days of sky fighting over the
newly invaded Central Solomons
and enemy plane losses in that
area of the Pacific offensive have
mounted to 1874, it was an
nounced today.
In far flung battles for control of
the air, the enemy also was routed
over the scene of American land
ings at Nassau Bay New Guinea
his bivouas area, near his menaced
air base on Munda on New Georgia,
was blasted by % tons of bombs
dropped by torpedo and dive
bombers; his mighty air fortress of
Rabaul was set ablaze by % tons of
bombs in the fourth straight Allied
raid; his air base at Kendari, Dutch
Celebes, was rocked by l6 tons of
bombs by Allied planes which had
to make 1.500-mile round trip
flight. and his airdrome at Koepang.
on Dutch Timor, 500 miles northwest
of Darwin, underwent a heavy at
tack.
At sea there also was an exchange
of action. Off New Georgia, the
island where the Americans have
seized Viru Harbor, within 80 nau-
tical miles of the enemy Munda
base, American warships shelled
Japanese positions on the south end
near Kickham Anchorage Friday
afternoon while dive bombers made
a co-ordinated air strike.
Troops Consolidate Positions,
In the darkness of early morning
Saturday, three Japanese light
cruisers and four destroyers sue
ceeded in lobbing a few shells on
Renoova Island in the Solomons,
where the Americans landed We'd
nesday, but the shelling was charac-
terized as ineffective" and Ameri-
can warships chased the enemy
units away.
The japanese units moved up to
Renard Cove, miles southwest Of
Ugali on the north end Of Rendova
Island to place their shells at Rem
dova Plantation.
Whether they sought to ascertain
the strength of our naval forces was
not disclosed but they pulled out as
soon as the American warships
moved in. Meanwhile. Allied troops
went on about the business of con-
solidating positions.
The japanese. battling against
American control of the air over
the newly conquered positions. sent
over 100 planes Friday and Satur-
day. Against the so encountered
Friday were pitted only seven Allied
fighters. new corsairs, but the seven
downed six of the enemy and dis
persed the remainder with a loss
of only three planes. And one of
the pilots was saved. On Saturday
so more enemy planes fought it out
with 10 American Lightnings, losing
five against three.
Today's communique also told of
continued Allied efforts to conquer
the New Georgia area.
Allies Shell Jap Positions.
Allied ships poured shells into
enemy positions on Vangunu, an is
land off the southeastern tip of New
Georgia.
On the western arm of the Pacific
drive, four Japanese Zeros and a
bomber were destroyed over Nassau
Bay. on the coast below Salamaua,
New Guinea, where Americans land
ed Wednesday to be Joined later by
Australians fighting their way from
the inland jungle area of Mubo.
No mention was made of Allied
plane losses there, but over Rendova
six of our planes were lost.
The long-awaited appearance of
units OF the Japanese navy mater
ialized briefly in the approach on
(See RENDOVA Page AID