Evening star., 1943-07-05
Gen. Macarthur
Drives Ahead
In So|omons
Americans Capture
Strategic Village;
Down 2l Jup Planes

oy LIle ASSUCldtcQ fTeSS.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
AUSTRALIA, July 5.-American
forces, with Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur in direct charge of oper-
ations, thrust forward in the
Central Solomons yesterday,
capturing a strategic village on
Vangunu Island and destroying
81 japanese planes over Rem
dova.
s'ews that Gen. Macarthur had
taken the field for the second time
in eight months was followed close
ly by the announcement that Amer
leans had seized Vura Village on
the southern tip of Vangunu Island.
Three hundred japanese were killed
in the operation and the remainder
of the garrison was dispersed. The
noon communique said our losses
were relatively light"
Vura Village commands the ap-
proaches to Wickham Anchorage on
the southern coast of Vangunu
Island.
Down Fl Jap Planes.
American planes and anti-air-
craft guns shot 81 planes out Of
two formations which attempted to
raid American positions on Rem
dova. Eighteen japanese borbers.
escorted by a score of fighters, We're
attacked by a fight of Lockheed
Lightnings before they reached their
objective.
Five bombers and four Zeros were
shot down without loss of an Amer
ican plane. Soon afterwsrd 16 Jap
anese bombers, escorted by fighters,
appeared over Rendova, but anti
aircraft guns knocked down IL of
the bombers in a Commute battle.
The others were driven of.
Gen. Macarthur sent torpedo and
dive-bombers against Munda, the
core of japanese resistance of New
Georgia. The enemy camp sectors
and harbor outposts were pounded
with 1000 and 2,O00-pound bombs.
All the attacking planes returned.
Nine Raids on Kiska.
Meanwhile. from Washington the
Navy announced rine heavy bomb
ing raids on Japanese positions on
Kiska Island in the North Pacific.
Hits were observed on anti-aircraft
positions, camp areas and on build
ings. Weather conditions prevented
observation of results Of some of the
raids.
Gen. Macarthur, in supreme COM
mand Of all land, sea and air forces
in the new Allied operations in the
Southwest Pacific. few to New
Guinea last month in an Army
bomber escorted by fighters. Short
ly after his arrival he visited New
Guinea coast at point where great
masses of arms and supplies were
stored. He complimented the men
who had made the supply prepara-
tions.
The general was in field command
Of New Guinea operations last Oc-
tober. setting up headquarters at
Port Moresby and directing the
campaign which resulted in the cap
ture of Buna and routed the Japa-
nese from the Papuan Peninsula.
Americans Make Big Gains.
Already. after only five days Of
the new offensive against the Jap
anese, Allied forces have gained a
firm foothold on Rendova Island
within artillery range of the Munda
airdrome. captured the enemy barge
base at Viru on the southwest coast
of New Georgia, dislodged the enemy
on Vangunu Island. the southern
most of the New Georgia group lying
athwart the American air line of
communication between Guadal-
canal and Rendova. and made a
successful landing at Nassau Bay
on the northeast coast of New
Guinea below Salamaua.
The noon communique said the
ground situation at Nassau Bay was
quiet. Fifty enemy dead have been
counted in the area, but the head
quarters announcement said these
represented "only fraction of the
total japanese casualties" Many
others are believed lying dead in
| nearby jungle sectors which are
still commanded by enemy guns.
Farther north, where Allied forces
are pressing toward the enemy
base of Salamaua, patrol clashes
continued. Ten japanese out of a
20-man patrol were killed yester-
day and several others were
wounded.
A four-engined reconnaissance
plane scored three direct hits with
500-pound bombs on a 1900 ton jap
anese ship off New Guinea and left
the craft burning and sinking.
Aerial activity in the northwest
ern sector was limited to recon-
naissance.