The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-02
BY HENRY KEYS

tLOHuOIl Dduy LApICSS wal wi
respondent
distributed by the United Press
With U. S. Flagship of Destroyer
Division, between Rendova Island
and Murda Point, June 80. ODE
layedD-An all out American assault
on the Japanese stronghold of New
Georgia Island got away to a fly
ing start at dawn this morning.
The brilliantly conceived and dar-
ingly executed plan caught the jap
anese flat footed and the landing OF
men and materials actually had be-
gun before shore batteries opened
fire against the destroyer screen.
1t was late afternoon before the
Japanese hit us but by then we
were on the way back to base, hay
ing landed every man and all our
supplies.
1t was savage and persistent
Japanese mass torpedo and bomber
attack. One torpedo crashed into
the bows of the destroyer on which
/ was observing the operation and
which I shall call in the future
"the cam.
The torpedo failed to explode or
damage the destroyer in any way,
however, although the tiny vessel
shuddered and reeled at the mo-
ment of impact and as the tor
pedo bumped along the side before
falling harmlessly away.
Now that it is over and we've got
ten away with one of the most braz-
en- attacks against the Japanese, 1t
is almost impossible to believe we
have accomplished the objective.
1t was not until yesterday morn
ing that the plan went into Ell
feet and orders, compiled in PANS
taking detail over many months
we're distributed. From that mo-
ment the beach was the busiest
scene. Loading of transports, small
converted destroyer transports ana
new type invasion ships began I'M
mediately. For most of the day
the beach was black with men and
trucks and the channel IN when
the ships stood was pimpled with
dozens of small landing boats which
frequently were hidden in showers
of spray as they ploughed through
choppy sea. ,-,
There were navigational hazards
a-plenty because OF the smaller
ships which have limited navlga-
tional facilities. In the welcome
rain of the pitchblack night some
of these unavoidably kept noslng IN
among the main body of the ships.
Some of them had the appearance
of submarines, which required that
all hands keep sharp lookout.
AWAY ahead the main convoy OF
destroyers landed troops on the
tiny islands of Bau and Kokirana
which guard the 100-yard-Wide Re
nard entrance to the equally small
Rendova harbor. Their purpose was
to knock out any likely Japanese
parties, enabling the main landing
to go ahead.
Immediately after the transport
arrived the daWn's early light was
lust beginning to filter through the
loW-hanging clouds and a misty
rain continued to fall as the trans
ports sung into anchorages outside
Renard entrance.
Four destroyers dropped astern
and another four, including the
Can, proceeded west, heading into
Munda point with the object OF
drawing Japanese fire.
Clouds wreathed the peak OF
3,0OO-foot high Rendova mountain
and Rugged the slopes of the noun
tains behind Munda's jungle-fring-
ed shoreline. The Can was second
in line as we swept in toward the
refs waiting for the enemy to show
he was still around after the terrific
aerial battering he received in the
last few days prior to the landing
A quarter of an hour later the
loundspeaker conencting the battle
circuit of ships participating in the
operation cracked. The calm voice
OF a destroyer captain announced:
They're shooting at us, they're
shooting at u.s."