Evening star., 1943-08-09
Pacific
Continued From First Page J

Arthur referred since the successful
conclusion of the Papuan campaign
with the capture of Sanananda late
IN January, have included:
The destruction of 22-ship JAP
anese convoy in the Bismarck Sea
and Huon Gulf last March: repuIse
OF a determined japanese drive to
regain the New Guinea airdrome
of Wau, south of Salamaua, in
May; capture of Mubo, II miles
south of Salamaua; the combined
Australian American invasion cam
palgn OF July, occupation of for
ward bases on Trobriand and Wood
lark Islands, June 30. an opera ton
timed to coincide with the present
Solomons push: continual air at
tacks against japanese strong points
from Soerabaja in the Netherlands
Indies to New Georgia and Santa
Isabel Islands in the Central Solo
mons; a series of victorious naval
actions eliminating in the crushing
defeat of a four-ship enemy convoy
IN Vella Gulf Friday night.
hOIOmDangara Bombed.
Commenting informally on the
wars progress in his sphere of COM
mand, Gen. Macarthur said:
We are doing what we can with
what we have. Our resources are
still limited, but the results of our
modest but continuous successes in
the campaign has been cumulative
to the point of being vital.
"A measure of their potentiality
can be obtained by imagining the
picture to have been reversed, with
the enemy capturing Guadalcanal
and besieging Port Moresby, rather
>shan We in possession of Munda and
1t the gates of Salamaua.
Such a. contrast would have
meant defeat for us in the war for
the Pacific"
Gen. MacArthur's statement was
coupled with a communioue which
told of 63-ton bombing attack on
enemy positions on Kolombangara
Island, above New Georgia in the
Central Solomons. Many hits we're
scored with one and two thousand
sound bombs on the Villa airdrome
and on nearby Kape Harbor. No
enemy planes were encountered.
Pays Tribute to Halsey.
The general also sent Admiral
William F. Halsey, jr, chief of the
South Pacific forces, message pay
Ing tribute to the officers and men
OF feet task force which sank a
japanese cruiser and two destroyers
and possibly three in Vella Gulf,
northwest of Kolombangara Friday
hight. The American forces came
through without loss.
The enemy warships were inter-
oepted while trying to run supplies
% Villa, across Kula Gulf from New
Georgia.
"A japanese communiuue
broadcast by the Berlin radio
said today that an enemy de-
stroyer and a japanese destroy
er were sunk during a battle be-
tween japanese destroyer
formation and enemy surface
craft in the SolomonS area Fri
DAY night
The broadcast which was
recorded by the Associated Press.
also admitted damage to an
other japanese destroyer
Bad weather held most of the 5th
Air Force earthbound Yesterday
Aside from the assault on Kolom-
bangara, todays communique tolo
of two Liberators bombing an $500
ton freighter- transport, a destroyer
ard small cargo ship 300 miles
northeast Of New Ireland. Results
could not be determined.
Fighter planes machine gunnec
the enemy seaplane base at Rekata
Bay on Santa Isabel Island and a
reconnaissance plane bombed ship
ping in McCluer Gulf on the western
coast of Dutch New Guinea.
No major activity was reported
around Salamaua, the besieged
enemy haSe on New Guinea