Evening star., 1943-08-17
Taking Of New Island
Virtually Dooms Japs
In Central SoIomons
Hy the Associated Press

2 ALLIED HEADQUARTERS II
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC
Aug. II. - Japan's holding
throughout the Central Solomon
1are virtually doomed and th'
enemy bases still barring th'
way to Rabaul are gravely men
laced as the consequence of {
surprise invasion of Vella La.
'vella Island.
! American forces in considerable
strength seized the island Sunday IL
"a move so unforeseen by the enem,
lthat the invaders accomplished tht
ihitherto-unheard-of feat of captur.
ling $50 llnarmed japanese. Gen
douglas Macarthur disclosed the
new move in todays communique.
On delayed dispatch from
Left Erickson, Associated Press
war correspondent who went
ashore from landing barge
with the troops, first disclosure
was made that waves Of Japa-
nese planes tried to break up
the invaSers after the first boats
had been unloaded. He said the
dive-bombers, escorted by Zeros,
failed to hit single boat but
did succeed in strafing some of
the boats winding up the landing
operations.
fTaken on in furious dogfights,
"a Of the enemy planes we're shot
/ down at A lost of only tWo.)
! Kolombangara Bypassed.
The japanese obviously believed
that the Americans, now wiping out
bitter-end enemy resistance on New
Georgia above the captured Munda
Airfield, would hold to standby
island strategy and strike next
across the Kuls Gulf at the Villa Air
Base.
Instead, the Americans by-passed
kolombangara Island, on which
Villa is situated. and overwhelmed
Vella Lavella, As miles northwest
OF New Georgia. Seizure of this
northernmost island of the New
Georgia group appeared to seal the
fate of all other intervening islands
-Ganongga, Gizo, Wanawana and
Arundel as we'll as Kolombangara
This places our forces north of
enemy positions at Villa on Kolom-
bangara Island and renders its con-
tinuous supply problematical," to-
days communique pointedly stated.
2 (Mr. Erickson's dispatch, writ
ten the day of the landings, said
the obvious strategy was to starve
out the Villa garrison, thus OBJ
waiting the necessity of prolonged
fighting in Kolombangara's
tungles.
GA later dispatch from Associ-
ated Press War Correspondent
William Nipple at Admiral Will
liam F.. Halsey's headquarters in
the South Pacific estimated pos
sibly 5000 japanese on heavily
reinforced Kolombangara had
been cut off from supply bases
by invasion Of Vella Laveella. He
thought it probable that the is
land would be used to spearhead
thrusts on Japanese held Bou-
gainville.)
70 Miles From BougainvilIe.
But 1t does even more. 1t puts
forces within 10 miles of Bougain-
Vile. On and around Bougainville
are four Of the six air bases in the
Solomons still in Japanese hands
Kahili and Kieta on Bougainville,
Ballale below it, Buka above it.
Villa and the seaplane base at Re-
kata Bay, Santa Isabel, are the
others. Both Villa and Rekata Bay
were bombed by American planes
yesterday.
Significantly. among the $50 Vella
Lavella captives were japanese who
had fed because of the incessant
bombings. These, together with a
tight blockade by American ships,
have caused shortage of foods and
supplies. Other prisoners included
japanese navy men who managed to
survive the sinking of between 16
and 70 cruisers and destroyers by
American warships in two battles in
the Kula Gulf.
Even as the Americans moved up
the Solomons nearer Rabaul, Aus
tralians, in tough mountain fighting,
finally wiped out japanese resist
ance on Northeastern New Guinea
at Tambu Bay, only miles south
Of the enemy air base of Salamaua.
AT least 200 japanese were killed.
This move in New Guinea and the
latest invasion in the Solomons are
Eegments of an overall strategy
which ultimately may develop into a
pincers movement on Japans all
Important holdings on New Britain
Island.
4 Flight to Borneo Repeated.
Maintaining mastery of New Gui-
meas skies, high-altitude fighters
Of the 5th United States Army Air
force intercepted formation of 25
Japanese dive -bombers and Zeros
nver the Watut Valley, 40 miles
northwest Of the Salamaua-Lae Sec
Tor, yesterday shooting down IL and
probably destroying 2 others at a cost
Isf only l plane.
u Proving to the japanese that last
Friday nights record-breaking raid
pn the enemy oil port Of Balikpapan,
Borneo, was not stunt, other Lib
orators early yesterday repeated the
2,500-mile round-trip fight.
IL They found reflneries shoulder
mg and rekindled the fires. They also
sank a 6,000-ton tanker in the har-
bor. Then, as on Friday, all the
Liberators reached their Australian
bases safely after flying over enemy
fortified islands.
4 Transports, ) Worships