The Wilmington morning star., 1943-07-03
Y PLANES D0WNED
Japanese Retaliate With
Large Bombers; Suffer
Aerial Defeat
RABAUL HEAVILY HIT
MacArthur's Air Force
Pinning Enemy Planes
To Home Fields

A L L I E D HEADQUAR-
TIERS IN AUSTRALIA, Sat-
urday, July 3.-P)-Match-
ing successes already scored
in the central Solomons, the
Allies have made progress on
the Salamaua, New Guinea,
battlefront of the Pacific Of
fensive by a junction of in
land forces with the beach,
head achieved at Nassau bay,
the high command announced
today.
Australian jungle troops
which for long have been at
Mubo, IL miles south and in
land from Salamaua, have
fought their way to Nassau
bay IL miles down the coast
where Americans landed We'd
nesday, the noon communique
reported.
This juncture made a more
compact front against Sala-
maua whose capture would
afford the Allies a base in the
Huon gulf of northeastern
New Guinea within fighter
plane range Of Japanese-held
New Britain
Foe Tries Surprise Raid
The Japanese, who had been
caught completely by surprise In
the New Guinea landing sent its
air force to bomb the American
beach head.
Elements of our ground forces
moving overland from Mubo cap
tured and consolidated the area at
the mouth of the south arm OF
Bitoi river, effecting contact with
cur forces at Nassau bay" the
communique said
"Ten enemy planes raided the
area"
On the central Solomons front,
% more Japanese planes reported
Wned.
presumably these were in addi.
ton to 1923 enemy planes already
reported shot down in that sector).
Pinning down japanese planes at
the base which could best serve
the enemy to parry the Allied
blows, big-four bombers struck
for the third straight day at Ra-
haul, New Britain.
They sent 33 tons of bombs down
lon Vunakanau and Rapopo air
dromes.
Many fires and explosions re-
suited and five searchlights were
iput out of action in the night raid.
The night before % tons were
dropped on three Rabaul air.
dromes and n the first raid, tuned
T with the opening of the Pacific
offensive, % tons were loosed on
that big air and shipping fortress.
Warding off night fighters, all
our planes returned.
The Allied air arm continued
to strike widespread blows in d1'
rect support of ground actions.
Mitchell medium bombers at
tackled Japanese installations IN
the vicinity of Salamaua, causing
explosions and fires and silencing
/ anti-aircraft positions.
On the ground sharp clashes OF
: patrols were reported at Bobdupl'
: a jungle outpost only five miles
from the air base of Salamaua.
; In the central Solomons, where
the Allies have captured Rendova
island and Viru harbor on New
Georgia to menace the enemy ar
base of Munda, ''the ground sltua.
tion is unchanged" the communl-
que said.
"Our fighters intercepted
group of enemy planes over Rem
dova island, shot down IA fighters
and eight dive bombers. We lost
eight planes but three pilots are
safe"
ct previously had been an
nounced that in the downing OF 123
5 planes, the Allies had lost %
planes but that 10 pilots were
saved.
"At Bairoko anchorage north Of
Munda, medium bombers with
| fighter escort attacked and sank
an enemy cargo vessel of about
1,500 tons." the communique add
ed.
In the Arafura sea, between
! Australia and New Guinea, men
, ton was made of an Allied con-
voy.
A two-engined bomber on escort
patrol with the convoy shot down
one of two Japanese float planes.
Other enemy aircraft attempting
to attack were repored driven off
! by ne fighter cover