The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-09
Initiative Is
Lost ByJops
BY BRYDON TAVES
United Press Staff Correspondent

10y bAtA DON AN
United Press Staff Correspondent
Allied Headquarters, Southwest
Pacisfic, Aug. 9 - Allied successes
have forced Japan on the defensive
and the Pacific war has taken Vi
tai turn toward victory, General
Douglas Macarthur said today.
MacArthurs confident statement
that the enemy's ability to attack
had been smashed followed the
American conquest Of Munda and a
steady broadening of the Allied Of
fensive in the Island Arc north of
Australia.
"Our resources are still very linn
ited," he said, but results of our
modest but continuous successes in
campaign have been cumulative to
the point of being vital.
". The margin was close but
it was conclusive. Although for
many reasons our victories may
have lacked glamorous focusu they
have been decisive Of the final re-
suit in the Pacific.
II make no predictions as to time
or detail but Japan on the Pacific
fronts has exhausted the fullest re-
sources Of concentrated attack of
which she Is capable, has failed and
Is now on the deefnse which will
yield just In proportion as we
gather force and definition. What
that will be I do not know but 1t is
certain"
Victory Assured
This statement by the supreme
commander of the Southern Pacific
fighting meant Allied victory in the
Pacific Is now assured, headquar-
tiers spokesman said. St should be
read in connection with his past
views and with the prediction OF
Admiral William F. Halsey, COM
mander of South Pacific American
forces, that the battle in the area
would become "the battle of Japan
he added.
Last March l, Macarthur warned
that Japan was in readiness for at
tack above Australia and his state
ment today raised the point that If
this attack had developed, the STU
alton might be entirely different.
AS he spoke, reports from the
fighting fronts created by his Often
sive started last June 80, showed
Americans cleaning up final resist
ance in New Guinea Island in the
Central Solomons and Allied flyers
ranging north Of the Equator for
the longest attack into Japanese
controlled waters yet attempted.
Halsey Congratulated
Macarthur congratulated Halsey's
naval forces for the victory Friday
in Vella Gulf, between Kolomban-
CARA Island northwest of New
Georgia and Vella Lavella Island in
which one enemy cruiser and two
destroyers were sunk and a third
destroyer damaged and probably
sunk, without Allied loss. Thou
sands of enemy troops we're believed
to have been killed.
"a Japanese communique broad.
cast by Tokyo admitted loss of 9
destroyer west Of Kolombangara
Friday in a battle with an "Ameri.
can torpedo flotilla" operating with
planes and said an American de-
stroyer was sunk.
(The communique, broadcast by
Tokyo, said that on Thursday - thu
day before U. S. forces occupied
Munda - Japanese lines north o.
that New Georgia base were read.
justed" and fighting continued. 9th.
or claims we're that Is of 16 Allied
planes were shot down Friday in {
raid on Shorthand Island in tn,
Solomons for loss Of one japanese
plane and Japanese naval planes
sank four transports, damaged eigh
landing barges and shot down fiv,
planes at Rendova Island off New
Georgia the same day.
Reinforcement Effort Smashed
The naval triumph chopped doWr
new effort to reinforce Kolomban.
CARA Island, on which the Japanes,
have their last workable airdrome II
the New Georgia group. YESTERDAY
Avenger and Dauntless bomber
slammed SO tons of explosives onto
the airdrome, which is at Villa, ane
on the naval harbor at Kape, l!
miles TO the northeast.
The planes met no interceptior
above Villa and scored hits on CUR
positions, bivouac areas and supply
dumps with 1000 and 1000 pounc
bombs.
Villa was expected to be the nex'
objective OF American forces clean.
ing out the Solomons and extend.
ing the eastern arm OF a pincers de.
signed to engulf the Japanese MAR
bases above Australia at Rabaul
New Britain and Kavieng, New Ire.
land. On New Georgia itself, mop
ping up OF the Munda area was neal
completion and the Americans
moved 10 miles northward on Bal.
roko Harbor where small enemy
garrison was doomed.
Convoy Hit
Planes OF the 5th s. air force
ranged north OF the equator yester-
day to hit at a Japanese convoy west
OF Greenwich Island. 900 miles
northeast OF Kavieng.
An 8500-ton freighter-transport
n destroyer and small cargo shiI
we're bombed but results could no
be observed