Evening star., 1944-03-09
Jap Barge Fleet Fails
10 Land Single Craft
In Los Negros Attack
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,
Southwest Pacific, Mar. g.
Americans fighting on three in
vasion fronts around the Bis
marck Sea have crushed Japa-
nese opposition in New Guinea
and the Admiralty Islands, and
are holding against strong enc
my counterattacks in New Brit
ain, Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
communique said today.
Japanese troops aboard a small
barge fleet failed dismally to dent
the LIST Cavalry Divisions positions
north of Momote airdrome on Los
Negros Island in the Admiralties
Tuesday night. Not one barge
reached shore against the fire of
the Americans.
Marine invaders of Willaumez
Peninsula on the North New Britain
coast had consolidated their hold
lngs and were slugging it out Nom
DAY night with counterattacking
japanese, who had recovered from
the surprise Of the landing the morn
ing of that day.
% Miles From Madang.
Thirty-second Division troops have
seized complete control of the
Northeastern New Guinea coast for
50 miles west of Saidor, in their
orlve Tor the enemy base at Madang
now 23 airline miles away. The
Americans, after going ashore be-
mind the japanese at Yalau March
5, struck at Mindiri and captured
much abandoned enemy equipment
The Japanese barge movement
against Los Negros followed a weak
night aerial attack on American
positions around Momote airdrome
now used by Allied combat planes.
The Americans extended their
perlmeter $500 yards northwest of
the alrfleld when they occupied
Paitalia Mission Plantation. They
also found several hundred more
Japanese bodies, the communioue
said. The invaders previously had
buried more than 1900 enemy dead.
The marines on Willaumez PENN
sula, New Britain, were facing stiff
hre from japanese reinforcements
apparently from Talasea. The
Leathernecks' landing on the west
coast OF the peninsula was about S
mics northwest of Talasea, where
there is an airstrip.
Cape Hoskins Attacked.
Allied aircraft supported the ma
rineS by attacking enemy barges
and installations at Cape Hoskins
east Of Talasea.
The offensives in New Guinea, the
Aomiralties and New Britain all
emphasized the growing Allied con-
troi OF the Bismarck Sea, and prom
ised more hardship for japanese
troops apparently left stranded in
these areas by Toxic strategists,
Gen. Macarthur said work has
oeen completed on the airstrip on
Green Islands in the Northern Sol
omens. New Zealand and American
troops captured the island Febru-
ary 10, putting the Allies astride
the Japanese supply line down the
east coast of New Ireland to the
Solomons, where several thousand
enemy troops are isolated.
operations from this airstrip will |
the strength of Allied |
planes from Solomons airfields in
further reducing the enemy's top |
ping bases at Rabaul. New Britain
and Kavieng, New Ireland.
Aircraft from the Solomons ham
mereo the Lakunai and Tobera air
dromes at Rabaul Monday with S.
tons OF bombs. Rabaul has been
the daily target of these planes for
several weeks.
kaVieng was blasted by So tons
of explosives dropped by Liberator
neavy bombers also from the Solo
mons. Airdromes, a pier and ware
houses were the targets.
japanese positions around the
beachhead perimeter atI
Cape Torokina, on Empress Augusta |
Bay on Bougainville Island in the
ooiomons, were blasted by dive
bombers.
Meanwhile, it was announced that
nghter pilots of the 5th Air Force
nave shot down their l,5O0th Japa-
nese plane in an air skirmish yes-
terday over Wewak, New Guinea.
Fifth Air Force fighters have lost
only 1874 lives in their two years of
combat for the destruction of more
than one-sixth of the enemy's esti-
strength of first-line aircraft
at the beginning of the war;" head
quarters said.