Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-10-17
Australians Advance
In Valleys in Push
Toward Madang
BY the Associated Press.

THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC,
Sunday, Oct. 17.-Australian
troops moving toward the Japa-
nese base Of Madang. New
Guinea, have scored advances
in the Uria and Faria valleys,
Gen. Douglas Macarthur re-
ported today in a communique.
In support of the troops, Mitchell
medium bombers strafed targets
from Sio Island to Saidor, dropping
IS tons of bombs.
Writing from an advanced New
Guinea post, Associated Press War
Correspondent Robert Eunson said
the Mitchells skinned the coast
above Finschhafen at no higher
than $50 feet to attack Japanese re-
treating northward from that AL
lied-won base.
THE strike hammered villages to
the ground" Mr.. EuAson said.
Places where Japanese might be
hiding were RACED, including a mis-
sion building on tiny Sio Island.
Vella Lavella Raided.
In the most advanced of the new
ly won Central Solomons, Vella La
vella positions of the Americans
were raided by japanese planes, the
communique said. One enemy
bomber was destroyed and a second
damaged.
In the sector northwest of Aus
tralia, Liberators bombed the Jap
anese-held Aroe Islands and de-
stroyed an intercepting fighter. Jap
anese bombers made weak raids on
Finschhafen and Cape Sudest, New
Guinea.
In the South Pacific, to the north
east of Vella Lavella in the Solo,
mons, light naval units downed an
enemy float plane over Choiseul.
The target in the Aroes was Taber-
fame where the Japanese have
seaplane base. On Ceram, to the
west, the accommodating Liberators
bombed Boela and the fires started
we're so intense they could be seen
for 80 miles. Such large fires usu-
ally indicate either fuel, oil or am
munition dumps.
New Britain Softened Up.
Allied bombings of preinvasion
proportions are softening up Japa-
nese-held New Britain and drastic
ally pairing down the air strength
which the enemy can throw against
Unitedt Nations bases in the Solo,
mons and New Guinea.
Crescent-shaped New Britain lies
athWart free sea communication
between the Solomons and Aus
tralia on the one hand and Northern
New Guinea on the other. Northern
New Guinea, from which Gen. Mac
Arthur is expected to start his am
phlbious march toward the Philip
pines and the heart of the Nip
ponese island empire, still is in
japanese hands.
Air bases on the 370-mile long
island of New Britain were raked
from one end to the other in
series of aerial raids last week start
ing with the devastating attack
Tuesday on Rabaul.
Airfield Blasted.
Subsequent raids, reported in yes
terday's communique, blasted the
airfeld at Cape Gloucester, only
85 miles from Allied positions on
New Guinea, started fires and
silenced antiaircraft positions at
the Lindenhafen airdrome facing
the main allied sections of New
Guinea, and reduced the fighter
strip at Cape Hoskins on the North
coast to rubble.
The heavy bombers attacking
Cape Gloucester raked enemy vii
lagos and barges along the coast
while daring light naval craft, pre-
sumably PIT boats, attacked ship
ping and land installations off Rookie
Island. These two attacks sank one
coastal vessel and damaged Is
barges in New Britains waters.
No mention was made of Allied
losses or japanese interception on
these raids. Only light antiaircraft
fire was reported.