The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1943-02-20
A w eek OF
The w ar


nesday, February 10, represents a
complete American victory. Just
six months after the Marines ini-
tial invasion of the Island, AM
erican forces surrounded the last
remaining Japanese, captured
large amounts of ornaments and
equipment, and took unchallenged
control of the entire island The
conclusion of the fighting was an
nounced by Major Gen Alexander
Patch, Commander of American
forces in the Solomons
The stately which forced Japa-
nese capitulation was described by
Secretary of War Stimson. A
thanking movement was carried
out at sea with naval support, and
u. S. army forces were landed at
the Northwest tip of the island
After this landing, accomplished
about February As, the japanese
were pinned on a 15-mile strip of
beach near Cape Esperance. The
American forces which landed west
of the Japanese, and other Am
erican troops approaching over
land from the East, joined on Feb
ruary 9 at Cape Esperance after
overcoming the Japanese forces.
The value of this victory was
outlined recently by Secretary of
the Navy, Knox. Complete Am
erican domination of GuadaIcanal,
said Mr. Knox, has both negative
and positive Value.-It brings u.
S. forces within striking distance
of some of Japan's most impor-
tant bases, and it denies to the
japanese the opportunity to raid
u. s. communications in the area.
But Guadalcanal is not the on
ly victory the U. S. has won in
the South Pacific. A little better
than two weeks ago, Gen. Mac
Arthur announced the crushing of
the last organized enemy resist
ance in Papuan New Guinea, and
Papau became the first complete
yN1oino1 11Y,if n hanlx
from the Japanese. Since that
time, u. S. forces have been NOV
ing North along the Northeastern
coast to New Guinea, preparing
for the next step in the cam
paign-the battle of the Huon
Gulf. On Thursday, February Il,
a dominique from Gen. MacAr-
thurs headquarters reported that
allied troops, charging under COW
er of a heavy artillery barrage,
hurled the main Japanese force
six miles back in the Wau region
of the Northeastern New Guinea
front, inflicting one of the sever
est setbacks the japanese have
had since they moved against Wau
Airdome from Mulo, approximate
ly % miles to the Northeast.
Air warfare continues in the Pa
cific, with u S. army and navy
planes attacking Munda and New
Georgia Island, Celebes in the
Dutch East Indies, Kolumbangra
Island in the New Georgia group
and Kiska in the Aleutians. A
New Dutch squadron is now ope-
rating with Gen. MacArthur's air
forces, and last week this squad
ron was part of a formation that
sank or damaged six japanese
ships and shot down five or six
intercepting planes in series of
SCATTERING attacks on an 1-800-mile
front covering the entire Austral-
ian zone
Several of these raids were amied
at Dubo, Japanese-held port in the
Aroe Islands between Dutch New
Guinea and Australia, and the
third raid virtually wiped OUT
this startegic port.
Eisenhower Assumes Control
Consolidating Allied forces on
the North front, 1t. Gen. Dwight
Eisenhower formally assumed his
new post as Commanding Gener-
al of the African theater, with
three of Great Britian's outstand-
ing Mediterranean war leaders in
his command set-up.-Sir Harold
r. L. c. Alexander will be Depu-
ty Commander in Chief; Air Mar
shall Sir Arthur Tedder will be al
lied Air Commander; and Admiral
Sir Arthur B. Cunningham will
be supreme allied Naval Com
mander in the Mediterranean.
Although there has been little
to report from allied groud forces
on the Tunisian front, u S. planes
have covered wide areas of the
African Mediterranean theater
bombing Gabes, Sousse and BIZ
zerte, on the Tunisian Coast, and
Axis Air Bases and ports in Sicily
Sardinia and Crete, inflicting
heavy damage and taking high
toll of enemy fighters attempting