Evening star., 1944-04-24
1000 u. S. Planes Blast Munich
And Friedrichshafen While 1000
Others Hit Bucharest and PIoesti

100000 Japs
HoIIondio, Aitope
Within Air Range
Of Philippines
BY the Associated Press.
MacARTHUR'S ADVANCED
H ADO UARTERS IN NEW
GUINEA, April 24.-Under cover
Of a tremendous naval and air
blasting, thousands of American
troops established beachheads al
Hollandia and Aitape on the
strategic north coast of New
Guinea Saturday and today co.
600 more isolated japanese faced
annihilation.
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, who
witnessed the gigantic operation
termed it Bataan in reverse.
Gen. MacArthur'S communique to-
day said 100000 japanese troops
stretching from New Guinea to the
Solomon Islands are thus neutral
lied and strategically impotent.'
These japanese are all that remain
of a force of 250,000 established in
these islands for the invasion OF
Australia, he declared, adding:
Time and combat will be required
to accomplish the annihilation, but
their ultimate fate is now certain.
Their situation reverses Bataan.'
Caught OFF Base by Feints.
The $4,000 japanese are caught
between Hollandia and Madang. The
other 10000 are on New Britain
New Ireland and Bougainville.
The japanese, caught far off base
by feints in the direction of Wewak
and Madang to the southeast, Of
fered little opposition to the power
full American forces which poured
ashore on both sides of Hollandia
and at Aitape, $50 miles southeast
Immediately the Americans drove
toward the airdromes at both bases
with tractors and bulldozers to make
serviceable the excellent airstrips
which are q little over 1000 miles
from the Philippines-within bomb
er range.
Gen. Macarthur, intent on re-
turning to the Philippines, from
which the Americans Withdrew a
little more than two years ago
watched the Hollandia landings
from bombarding cruiser and went
ashore with the second wave OF
troops, which established a beach
head at Tanahmerah Bay west OF
Hollandia at dawn.
Base at Wewak Bypassed.
After greeting field commanders
and many of the men, he proceeded
to the Aitape area and watched
from a destroyer as the first assault
team made shore, later to seize
Aitape's air strips. Gen Macarthur
went in with the second wave again
and expressed his satisfaction te
the commanding general for a iot
well done.
The Aitape landings were pre-
ceded by the seizure of Tumleo ano
Seleo islands offshore. This brought
Aitape itself within artillery range
"a tactic reminiscent of that used
in the capture of the first Marshall
Islands.
The landings, which in the case of
Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea
the first recapture of Neither
lands territory in the war, bypassed
the japanese base of Wewak with its
four airf1elds and the other enemy
air bases of Bogia, Alexishafen and
Madang along the northeast New
Guinea coast.
The campaign swept the New
Guinea front 500 miles up the coast
from the Madang sector.
Aided by Nimitz's Warships.
A strong force of Central Pacific
warships under the command OF
Admiral Chester w. Nimitz partici-
pated in the pre-invasion shelling
lending support tor the first time tc
Macarthur landing operation.
These warships previously hac
prevented material Japanese air in
terference with the Hollandia actor
by smashing hard at Palau anc
Woleai in the Western Caroline
Islands north of New Guinea as vel
as T'ruk to the east.
The Americans disembarked from
transports in tropical predawn dark.
ness for the Hollandia landings
They hit shore at 7:08 am. and by
noon had driven about two miles in.
land from the beachheads a.
Tanahmerah Bay and Humbold
Bay. Their objectives were three air.
fields lying midway between the two
beachheads.
No land mines or obstacles inter.
fered with rapid establishment OF
the beachheads. The troops me-
only weak resistance as they headed
inland with fixed bayonets and suf.
fered only light losses.
Japs May Attempt Stand.
The estimated $4,000 Japanese ir
the Hollandia area may attempt 6
stubborn stand around the vital air.
fields or may withdraw to the slopes
of the Cyclops Mountains command.
ing the airstrips.
Hollandia's once formidable all
power had been knocked out in {
pulverizing 1,500-ton bombing as.
sault which started three weeks be.
fore. The enemy's coastal defenses
were hit by hundreds of tons Of
shells in the stiffest warship anc
carrier plane pounding of any Japa.
neSe objective south of the Mar.
shall Islands.
The American armada, reinforced
by Australian cruisers and DESTROY