Evening star., 1943-07-06
Considerable Damage Dealt Japs>
Destroyer Lost by U.S.. in BattIe;
Russians Repu|se German Thrust
Reports Indicate
Hit-Run Type Of
EnQuqement
Ry WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.

considerable damage mas Deen
inflicted on a japanese surface
task force which was engaged
early yesterday by American
naval vessels operating in Kula
Gulf, the Navy reported this aft
ernoon.
Some damage was suffered by
he American force, but the Navy
at this time is without details.
However, it announced that the
2,l00-ton destroyer leader Strong,
With normal complement of $50
officers and men, was torpedoed and
sunk during the bombardment of
lila and Bairoko, which touched off
the battle between the two task
forces in the waterway between
<olombangara and New Guinea Is
andS,
The Navy also was without infor-
nation as TO the number of caSu-
alties as a result of the sinking of
The Strong. but it was indicated that
shere were some, in view of the de-
,;artmentS statement that the next
of kin had been notified The ship
vas commanded by Comdr. Joseph
Harold Wellings, U. S. N, of East
Boston, Mass, concerning whose fate
The Navy was without information
The Strong was commissioned last
"ear.
Informal tiOn Fragmentary.
Naval spokesmen mere said infor-
nation from the battle scene was
cry fragmentary. Their dispatches
ave no indication of the size or
type of the vessels which joined bat
tie in Kula Gulf. They also said
S probably was sort of hit-and-
run type of engagement in which
the japanese force came into the
gulf while the American force was
combarding the two places, engaged
the American fleet and then ran out.
There was no indication that the
.;attle was continuing at this time,
although from the experiences in
the taking of Guadalcanal such hit
and-run forays may be expected.
1t was recalled that last Friday a
Japanese force of three cruisers and
our destroyers attempted to bonn
asrd American forces on the west
coast of Rendova Island. which is to
The southeast of Kula Gulf. How
ever, this force would have to pro-
reed up and around Kolombangara
and in order to get to The entrance
10 the gulf
Two Places Bombed.
The American force mad gone we'll
Gown to the southern head of the
,ulf in order to lombard the two
places on Kolombangara and New
Georgia Islands Villa, on Kolom-
.,angara, is large japanese air base
which has been under bombardment
Hy an American land force implated
on RendoVa Island.
Because of the fragmentary dis
catches from the scene of the battle,
j; is not known whether the enemy
force attempted to trap the Amerl-
cans at the head of the bay or
,:hether they came in while the
United States forces were attempt
:ng to unload supplies on the New
Georgia Island beach at Bairoko.
The sinking of the destroyer
strong brought to a total OF 80 the
number of American vessels when
have been sunk since the South Pa
cific operations began At the same
time, the figures show that the Japs
have lost IS ships sunk, 40 OF which
we're warships, II probably sunk and
ll9 damaged,
The number of destroyers sunk
during the campaign total "a, IN
Guiding the Strong.
Installatio Attacked.
On the evening of July Army
1jiberator heavy bombers attacked
japanese installations on Ballale
rsland in the Shorthand Island area,
,rhere five fires were started. Dur
ing this attack about II Zero flght-
crs attempted to intercept the
american force but were driven of
with no losses to American forces.
Kula Gulf lies between the north
western coast of New Georgia
island and Kolombangara Island.
t. is about Is miles long and cry
ceep and can be approached either
from the north or south by deep
craft vessels such as battleshlps,
cruisers and heavily laden trans
rorts. However, it is probable that
the southern entrance would be
closed to the American feet. as 1t
undoubtedly had been mined by the
laps through the narrowest part of
1he strait. which is only half a
rlile wide.
The deep water passage which
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