Evening star., 1943-09-18
Lac Stronghold Falls
Under Assault by
Planes and Troops
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC,
Sept. 18-The air base strong
hold of Lac, New Guinea, is in
Allied hands, wrested from the
japanese by sledgehammer air
blows and swift-striking jungle
troops in a major step by Gen.
Douglas Macarthur toward his
avowed return to the Philippines.
With Gods help, we are making
our way back" the general said to-
day in announcing Lae's capture.
It's fall Thursday, with the few
enemy survivors chased north into
death trap Of blockaded jungle
trails, occurred while the long
smouldering Solomons arm Of the
Pacific offensive was being reset
afiane by many scores Of japanese
and American planes.
Allied air power, growing rapidly
at both ends of the 750-mile battle
arc, made possible the brilliantly
executed 12-day pincers drive which
swallowed up Lac. After Liberators
and Mitchells razed its last defenses
Thursday morning with 43 tons of
bombs, the Australians who marched
in and raised their flag on Lae's
control tower found only q few
stragglers among the ruins to kill.
1900 Tons Of Bombs Dropped.
A spokesman for Gen. Macarthur
said that 1900 tons of bombs were
dropped on the now captured air
bases Of Lac and Salamaua-1, 900
tons in August alone-during cam
paign against japanese army esti-
mated at one time to have totaled
10000 men. How many of these per-
ished remains to be computed, the
last estimate by an Allied general
Of 5000 having been made midway
in the operations.
A few prisoners were taken.
Lac has been raided on rs days
since the drive over tortuous jungle
and ridge against Northeastern New
Guinea got under way from the
Allied Papuan base of Buna last
January %. Sea barges, the enemy
garrison's principal means of supply,
were SO continuously attacked that
500 were destroyed in a month.
In the closing stages Lac was
pounded into a shambles. Conse-
quently, the Australians who landed
from the sea above it September 4,
guarded by guns of American war
ships, and the paratroopers who
landed from an immense formation
of planes in the Markham Valley be-
hind it September S, were able to
rout the Japanese from bomb
shattered pillboxes without extended
effort. -
Trails Blockaded.
Flight of the enemy remnants
north had been foreseen. Blockades,
some manned by American para
troops, had been built across trails
leading into mountains which rise
nearly $4,000 feet.
OBSTRUCTION of these remnants is
certain" todays communique said.
Lac, with its two airflelds, has
been used by the Japanese as their
main New Guinea coastal base since
they occupied it in January. 1912.
In a special field headquarters
statement Gen. Macarthur said,
'The Lac victory, accomplished in
the face of superior forces available
to the enemy, represents a serious
blow to him." ....
Bougainville Bases Raided.
Against the Bougainville air bases
Of the Japanese in the Solomons,
Admiral William F. .Halsey has fol-
lowed up raid of more than 200
American planes on Tuesday by
sending another big force of bomb
ers of all categories Wednesday.
Against these, 100 Japanese fighters
rose to give battle. Sixteen were
shot down against the loss of three
escorting American fighters
The bombers destroyed two Jap
anese planes on the ground, demaged
many others and spread ruins
among repair and supply depots.
In a give-and-take battle for
mastery of the Solomon skies the
Japanese on the night of Septem-
ber IA and in the predawn of Sep
tember Is sent go planes to raid the
American airfleld of Munda, New
Georgia, and nearby sBarakoma
causing minor damage and casual
ties,