The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-02
New Georgia Attack
Surprises Japanese
Eyewitness Claims Landing OF Men and Materials Be-
gun Before Enemy Shore Batteries Opened Fire

Several shells fell around the
leading destroyer. The commodore
spoke over the battle circuit, I'VE
can outrange them; move over"
Immediately our guns opened fire.
The blast and consussion shook the
ship. Within 10 minutes the first
shore battery to open up was
silenced completely while the sec
ond kept quiet in order not to give
away its position.
The cease fire order came at
07l6 G:16 a. No. as we observed
anti-aircraft fire from Munda. Six
planes were then over the field. Two
destroyers thereupon began lay
ing smoke-scleenS around the trans
ports but the japanese short bat
teries had too short a range again.
The destroyers on the stern flank
edged up to Munda again attempt
ing to get the enemy to fire. The
move was successful. The nemy
couldn't resist and resumed fire
and that battery was silenced for
good.
Outside Renard, small landing
boats-dozens upon dozens OF them
piled between ship and shore,
weaving their way through the
channel of Rendova harbor.
Three times more in the course
of the morning we on the Destroy
ers were under fire from Munda
Beach but the japanese had no
moro luck and each of these bat
terieS were knocked out. From one
destroyer came the radio call: Il
got a good bead on that bird" That
went to the commander of the
destroyer division on the can.
Good, go ahead" went back the
permission to open fire. Ten min
uteS later that particular battery
was Knocked out.
In the course of the morning two
air raid alerts sounded and the
transports, screened by destroyers,
weighed anchors and grouped into
formation to beat off an air attack.
This delayed the unloading for a
couple of hours but although a few
enemy planes came over they were
downed by our magnificent day
long fighter screen before they could
make an attack.
BY 1915 (3:15 p. No. the job
was done. Every man, every piece
of equipment was on the beach and
We were off on ire return voyage
to base. Then came the third air
raids alarm of the day.
rTuapfv-fiya torNo,}o nIorac f1y,
ing low were seen. Fighters swooped
down in hot pursuit of the Japanese
machines as they roared over the
mainland of New Georgia. There
were sharp, short dogfights. Soon
there were only 20 enemy planes
left.
Anti-aircraft from the ships which
had closed formation to repel air
attack opened fire.
Two Japanese torpedo planes were
hit and shot down within few
seconds. They crashed into the sea.
The guns were trained almost
parallel with the water as the Jap
anese came in.
The battle reached it's full fury
as the planes closed in to effective
ranges for dropping their torpedoes.
A majority of the planes SHE'D
from pressing the attack on the
empty transports. Instead they
came at the destroyers which were
spewing flames from the turret
guns and thousands of tracers from
automatic weapons.
The first plane charged the de-
stroyer I was on. AS 1t rushed to-
ward us the sound of its motors be-
You'd hearing because of the thun-
der of guns I could see two heads
in the pilots cockpit. 1t seemed in
credible men could be rushing into
such a wall of flame and flying
Shrapnel.
Four planes were coming our way,
strung out behind one another. The
tracers were pouring in and the
shrapnel seemed to burst right IN
the faces of the men in the planes.
The first machine was within $50 or
200 yards when It dropped torpedo.