Evening star., 1943-07-03
SteeI-Nerved Courage Credited
In Successful Rendovo Landing

plished with the loss of only one
transport-the MacCawley.
There was a thrilling moment as
the first Of the troops hurtled ashore
through the boiling surf. Over the
battle circuit loudspeaker on the
bridge of the destroyer on which
I was the only British correspondent
watching every phase of the action,
came the announcement I'VE are
landing under machine-gun fire."
A few minutes later through the
drizzling rain came the suffering
chatter of machineguns. Another
few minutes and all was silence
again. Thirty-five japanese had
been killed in less time than 1t takes
to tell while still another machine
gun position was found perfectly in
tact on the beach.
It was obvious its Japanese crew
had hightailed it through the COCO
nut groves into the dense jungle
blanketing Rendova Mountain which
almost crowds the plantation into
the sea. The American Army showed
its mettle at once. Within a short
time of establishing the beachhead
engineers could be seen preparing
positions for the big guns which are
now believed to be shelling Munda
in preparation for the next neces-
sary move-a strong land attack
against this Japanese airfield.
Rabal Eventual Tarxet,
The attack against Munda is evi-
dence that we are continuing the
island to-island warfare, tedious and
disappointing as 1t may be to con-
template. But Rabaul, key to the
whole japanese defensive arc, can
only be captured after seizure of
the outlying airbases which the
Japanese have established.
Apart from Munda and Villa there
are five more of these in the Solo
mons chain-Buka. Kieta, Khaili,
Ballale and the relatively unsuccess-
full seaplane base at Rekata Bay.
So much land-based airpower in the
closed waters of the Northern Solo,
mons and the New Georgia New
Britain area rendered the amphib-
ious invasion of Rabaul a far too
costly undertaking.
Naval excursions, such as the bonn
bardments OF the Northern Solomons
area in the past had to be hit and
run and were made at night. When
We succeed in wrestling Munda, and
Villa from the Japanese. however. a
way may be open to Bougainville
and Rabaul and the beginning of
the japanese end.
Plans for the seizure of New
Georgia group had been in prepara-
ton many months. Intensive prep
aration. 1t has demanded the estab-
lisment of island bases throughout
the entire South Pacific area SO that
all the eggs should not be in one
basket and the vast reserves of men
and materials could be available at
a moments notice. Long lines of
communications from the United
States. too few ships and the crudest
possible unloading facilities have
forced us to take the time to allow
the enemy 10 dig IN.
Primarily Battle Of Supply.
1t is impossible to describe the
enormous job that has been done.
1t is impossible to convey the picture
of the painstaking labor involved in
mapping of roads, airfields, camps
and hospitals. 1t is impossible to
detail the difficulties of supplying
planes, bombs. gasoline, guns, am
munition, jeeps, trucks, giant bull
dozers and the million and -one
other things: of transporting per-
sonnel and feeding and looking to
the creature comfort of hundreds of
thousands of men on dozens of is
lands in the Pacific.
But the evidence that all these
things have been done and we'll
done is provided by this offensive for
primarily 1t is battle of supply all
over again.
The last three weeks have been
the busiest for the commanders of
the operation, but their work has
proved the brilliance of American
leadership, its attention to detail and
the sturdiness of its offensive spirit.
Munda has been one of Japan's
most forlorn ventures. 1t is ideally
situated for defensive purposes but
extensively it has been flop. The
assault from the sea and the air
long ago reduced it to futility.
Japs Holding on to Airfield.
Indeed the Japanese object in
holding on to it so long has been
to deny us the use of its splendid
bomber strips. taxiways and revet-
ments on which they have worked
so industriously for nine months.
Nevertheless, geographical OBJ
stacles for the invader were many.
The subtlety and finesse of the plan
and the perfect timing were as i'm
portant as the daring and boldness
Invasion by the northeastern coast
would make the supply line vulner-
able to direct assault from Munda
itself. A frontal attack on the air
field by sea from the south was even
more dangerous. The reason was
that there was only one approach to
it-over the narrow, 9-foot-deep
Munda bar and a lagoon choked
with coral and sand Gays. Hence
the admiral commanding the opera
ton on the spot elected to land as
close as possible.
He decided the invasion forces
should disembark from transports
and freighters anchored five miles
from Munda just off the Renard
entrance to Rendova harbor-the
northernmost point of the Rendova
group. His plan worked but it re-
quired steeled nerves to do it. I
watched those nerves in action. It