Imperial Valley press., 1943-07-05
Allied Soldiers
Take New Islands
Continued from Page u

Only 33 casualties were suffered by
The Americans in their operations
around Viru harbor.
Dauntless dive bombers and
Avenger torpedo bombers, taking
over the aerial softening Of Mum
das defenses, dropped 1000 and D.
000-pound bombs on the japanese
bivouac area at LAMBERT planta-
ton, Just above the airfield, Sum-
lay afternoon.
FORTS JOIN IN
Flying Fortresses joined in the
offensive with bombing raid on an
snemy outpost at Bairoke harbor,
across New Georgia from Munda.
Allied planes returned without loss
from the New Georgia raids.
The Japanese, seeking futiley to
stem the Allied drive. yesterday sent
38 bombers and fighters against
American positions on Rendoya
island, from which artillery was
ending a constant stream of shells
across a five-mile wide channel
into Munda.
Allied fighters tore into the enc
ny formation and shot down five
)omberS and four fighters without
loss. Aanti-aircraft batteries shot
down IL enemy bombers out of
formation of l6 that attacked
American defenses at few hours
earlier.
On New Guinea island, at the op-
Hosite end of the new 700-mile
'outhwest Pacific front, patrol
kirmishes continued as American
nd Australia forces jockeyed for
positions from which to launch the
'inal offensive to knock out Sala-
naua and Lac, two of the main
'nemv bases on the north shore of
the island.
GISPERSE PATROL
An Australian patrol, entrenched
1ear Bobdubi. only four miles south
west of Salamaua. dispersed a 90
nan enemy patrol. killing 10 and
Uounding several others, while
American forces at Nassau Bay, 10
niles down the coast from Sala-
naua, mopped up the remnant of
7nemy troops south of the Bitoi
river.
Fifty enemy dead have been
counted so far around Nassau Bay
Representing only a fraction of
he total japanese casualties" the
eommurique said. American losses
we're described as moderate"
(Col. r. Ernest Dupuy, chief OF
he news division of the war de-
oartment bureau of public relations
aid in an army hour broadcast last
hight that Allied aerial superiority
,ver New Guinea has cut off Sala-
maua from its supply base at Ra-
paul. New Britain, with the result
hat the enemy troops there must
" this time be in difficult straitS.o
MACARTHUR IN NEW GUINEA
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, in su-
1reme command of the correlated
nva eions of New Guinea and New
Georgia, was revealed yesterday TO
9e directing operations from ad-
rance headquarters in New Guinea.
He flew there in a Flying Fortress
several days before the actual in
yasion began last Wednesday.
It was the second time in seven
months that Macarthur has set up
headquarters in New Guinea to take
over n-the-spot supervision OF an
Allied offensive. He went there first
last January to direct the cam
oaign that led TO the capture OF
Buna and Coma and the rout OF
the enemy from all Papua.
Though Macarthur technically Is
the Solomons operations,
communications difficulties and the
fact that the New Georgia in
yasion predominantly was the re-
,ponsibility of the navy have made
admiral william F. Halsey, Jr.,
Allied commander in the south
Pacific. the active commander in
the east.
MacArthur's communique report
I'd that a Liberator bomber on re-
,ornaissance scored three direct
hts on a 1500-ton japanese ship off
Vanimo, on the north shore of New
Guinea Just east of the Dutch New
Guinea border, with three 500
pound bombs and left 1t burning
and sinking.