Evening star., 1943-12-17
Flyers RepuIse
Jops Attempting
To Raid Positions
MAP on Page A-12)
(EyeDttneSS Stories on Page A-12

(Eye,DitneSS Stories on Page A-12 }
By the Associated Press
GEN. MACARTHUR'S HEAD
QUARTERS, New Guinea, Dec
17.-American troops who in
vaded the AraWe Peninsula OF
New Britain Island Wednesday
are consolidating their positions
while the American Air Force
has successfully repelled several
japanese air attacks.
The announcement from Gen
Douglas MacArthur's headquarters
was the first since the bulletins
yesterday telling of the landing OF
Army troops on the southwest coast
of Japans main island base in the
Southwest Pacific.
The American 9Th Army estab-
lished its hold on the Arawe PENN
sula with but few casualties. con-
sidering the scope of the operation
No Further Details.
There were no further details of
the action at AraWe, but the an
nouncement that Texas Army units
were consolidating their positions
indicated there was little if any
additional opposition after the brief
skirmlsheS accompanying the am
phibiouS landings
Patrols are probably branching
out into the rain soaked jungle in
reconnaissance missions seeking to
contact the Japanese.
At the same time. Gen. Mac
Arthur's headquarters announced
that Australians on the western side
Of Vitiaz Strait were making good
progress up the Huon Peninsula
of New Guinea, and capture of
Lakona was imminent"
Japanese bombers attempted to
attack the American positions soon
after the initial landings on Arawe,
but Allied fighters intercepted them
and the headquarters spokesman
said that in each case the air at
tacks were repelled"
Objective Gained Quickly.
Wednesdays invaders moved
shoreward with powerful naval and
air support, and seven hours after
the first assault at dawn Wednes-
day, Brig. Gen. Julian Cunningham,
commander of the invading force.
messaged Gen Macarthur our
objective is attained"
1t was the first concerted action
for the 9th Army. commanded by
1t. Gen. Walter Kruger and it won
a strategically important position for
the Allies, giving them command of
the southern entrance to Vitiaz and
Dampier Straits which separate New
Britain from the northeast coast of
New Guinea.
An American destroyer force un-
der Rear Admiral Daniel Barley
pounded Arawe and the tiny islands
at the entrance to the harbor before
the first army assault troops showed
off in force for the shore. Heavy
and medium bombers added their
explosives to the tons of steel thrown
at the enemy.
Preceding the principal assault,
aimed at Orange Beach at the foot
of the peninsula, force composed
mostly of Texans under Capt Ed
ward Wright of Dallas slipped away
from the invading fleet in rubber
boats, intent on making the first
beachhead at the top of the penin-
su]a, to cut the japanese retreat
line.
Attack Ended on Reef.
But the Texans were met with
heavy machine-gun and light can
non fire as they neared the shore
with one-quarter Of the force killed
or wounded These were the prin-
cipal casualties of the entire opera
ton.
Gen. Macarthur, directing the
operation from small island off
the north coast of New Guinea said
not plane of the American and
Australian squadrons which sup
ported the action was lost, nor was
any Of our naval or transport ships
lost
The main assault troops hit the
beach from their Higgins landing
boats and speedily proceeded to mop
up the few Japanese who attempted
resistance from dugouts.
Aside from the volume of bombs
and shells hurled at the defenders
preceding and during the assault.
the Allied air force had Softened ,Ir,
the invaded area Tuesday with a
356-ton bombing.
AS in this previous bombing, the
japanese air force was absent dur
ing the early stage of the landing.
tSee NEW BRITAIN, Page Alb