Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-14
japanese Munda Base
Appears Doomed by
Lack Of Supplies
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC,
July 14.-American troops, in
frequent gunfire exchanges with
the enemy, moved stealthily for
ward on Munda today through
New Georgia's jungles.
1t might well mark the beginning
OF the end OF that Japanese air
base.
The enemy's garrison there ap-
pearedd oomed to fight 1t out with
what men and weapons were on
hand.
Reinforcement by sea had failed.
Remnants of Japanese task force
fed the disastrous scene OF the Kula
Gulf above Munda, leaving behind
the sunken hulkS Of cruiser and
from three to i've destroyers to
add to nine others lost there a week
ago.
Air Attack Shattered.
Support by the japanese air force
also failed. Yesterday enemy dive
bombers, protected by 10 zeros,
came over bent on pounding Ameri-
can positions. The raiders never
reached their objective. Corsairs
and Lightnings slashed into them
at Langsdale Point on New Georgia.
Four Zeros and a Corsair, whose
pilot parachuted to safety. were
shot down. The bombers jettisoned
their loads and fled
Death rained daily on the garri-
son from swarms of American
Avenger torpedo and Dauntless
divebombers. Yesterday 80 tons OF
bombs burst among encamped
troops and on antiaircraft bat
teries.
Reinforcement or supply of the
imperiled garrison by land was
rendered practically impossible by
the American fighters.
Todays communique from Gen.
Douglas Macarthur told Of the an
Inhalation of $50 japanese trapped
10 miles northeast OF Munda at
Enogai Inlet. The heavy artillery
and machine-guns this force
manned in Mundas defense were
seized. Near the inlet is Bairoko,
Munda's supply port on the Kula
Gulf. But astride the jungle path
leading down from there to Munda
is barricade. heavily gunned,
thrown up by American invasion
forces.
Another $50 Japanese lost their
lives of the coast of Vangunu Island
to the southeast Of Munda, but they
no longer were defending the air
base. They had been ousted from
that island by American troops and
were trying to escape in barges.
Villa, Munda's supply depot across
the Kula Gulf on Kolombangara
Island, took new pounding from
the skies.
Big American Liberators ripped
into the enemy's Ballale Airdrome.
which Is in the Shorthand group
above Kolombangara and within
supporting range of Munda. Their
"a tons Of bombs set it aflame.
Salamaua Is Bombed.
In the jungle perimeter OF de-
lenses before Munda itself, two
strong points were knocked out by
advancing jungle fighters despite
stiffening resistance OF the enemy.
On Northeastern New Guinea. at
the other end Of the Pacific Often
sive, Liberators, Flying Fortresses
and Mitchells dropped more than so
tons Of bombs on Salamaua, the
enemy air base toward which the
jungle troops are fighting, and 81
tons on nearby Lac
More detailed accounts of the sec
ond battle of Kula Gulf confirmed
that the enemy broke of the naval
engagement after losing a cruiser
and from three to five destroyers.
South Pacific headquarters of Ad-
miral William F. Halsey said some
damage was inflicted on a group of
four other destroyers before the bat
tie ended yesterday and that Amer
lean damage was slight. In the first
Kula Gulf battle July Sc from 9
TO II enemy ships were sunk and
the 9.7G0-ton cruiser U. S. S. Helena
was lost.