Pacific News-Review
Notes And Comment On
The Progress Of The War
From June 16 To July 13
June 16: The pounding of Sicily by Allied aircraft continues and Messina has been bombed again.
June 16: As a result of ceaseless RAF raids, the Germans have begun “a retreat from the Ruhr.” They are trying to remove irreplaceable machinery and skilled workmen to safer areas in south eastern Germany.
June 17: The King is at present in North Africa with the British Forces. He left England by air last Friday and arrived in North Africa on Saturday morning.
June 19: A Japanese force of 120 air craft attacked Guadalcanal, in the Solo mons, last week. Thirty-two bombers and 45 fighters were shot down by the Ameri cans, for a loss of only six planes.
June 21: New Zealand airmen co operated with the Americans in last week’s battle with Japanese planes over Guadalcanal. Enemy losses were 94 planes, instead of the 77 first reported.
June 21: Field-Marshal Sir Archibald Wavell is to succeed Lord Linlithgow as Viceroy of India.
June 22: Forty-eight Japanese aircraft raided Darwin on Sunday. Spitfires shot down or damaged 22 of them.
June 23: Seven hundred British bomb ers yesterday blasted Krefeld in Ger many; 44 of them are missing. A large force of US bombers, escorted by RAF, Dominion and Allied fighters, attacked the Ruhr to-day in daylight.
June 23: In a special statement broad cast from Moscow, Russia calls for a second front, and declares that “every thing now depends upon how the Allies use the present favourable situation.”
June 26: The German city of Eberfeld was attacked by the RAF, and great dam age is reported. US bombers attacked Salonika, Greek port on the Aegean, which was occupied by the Germans on April 9, 1941.
June 28: Russian air-attacks against German-held aerodromes have reached their peak. M. Stalin’s week-end mes sage to President Roosevelt urges that conditions have now been created for the destruction of the common enemy.
June 29: Athens airfields were attacked by American bombers during the week end.
June 29: The Australian Minister for Air says that May was the best month of the war for Allied air-success against the Japs in the South-west Pacific.
July 1: Combined US Forces landed almost unopposed yesterday morning on Rendova Island, Central Solomons. Ren dova Island is about five miles from the Jap base at Munda, New Georgia (about 150 miles north of Guadalcanal) which is now being shelled.
July 2; American forces have landed upon and occupied Kiriwina (the chief island of the Trobriands), and Woodlark Island (both off the north-eastern coast of Papua); and, at the same time, another American force landed at Nassau Bay, 15 miles south of Salamaua, whence it marched inland and joined up with Australian forces in the jungle south west of Salamaua. All these islands landings, which were unopposed, were marked by perfect co-ordination of air, land and sea forces.
The four operations (Nassau, Tro briands, Woodlark and New Georgia) represent one straight line, and appear
to be part of one closely co-ordinated move against the Japanese in New Guinea.
July 2: Australian ground forces in New Guinea have advanced and are now within five miles of Salamaua.
July 5: Japanese warships were driven off Rendova by American warships on Saturday night.
July 6: American troops have landed on the island of Vangunu, in New Geor gia, BSI, and captured the village of Vura.
July 7: The Germans have launched a great new offensive on the Russian front.
Thousands of tanks are being used by both sides: 700 German tanks have already been knocked out.
July 7: A United States Navy com munique states that a naval battle is in progress off New Georgia.
July 8: It is stated from Russia that the Nazi gains have been insignificant and that the Russian forces are “chew ing up” German tanks and Panzer divi sions.
July 8; The Japanese naval force which suffered a severe reverse at the hands of an American task force in Kula Gulf, Solomons, on Monday night was making a desperate effort to prevent the isola tion of the vital airfield of Munda, on New Georgia. Six enemy warships were probably sunk and four damaged. Ameri cans lost one cruiser, and a destroyer had been sunk the previous night by a torpedo.
Munda is now regarded as neutralised as an air base, and American troops are moving to capture it.
July 9: The “Red Star” declares that although the battle in Russia is proceed ing with great fury, the German plans have been thwarted.
July 10: At 3 a.m. to-day, the long awaited invasion of Europe was begun by the Allied forces, when British, American and Canadian troops landed at many points on the south, and south-east coasts of Sicily. An enormous sea armada (estimated at 2,000 ships) and at least 1,000 planes were employed.
July 10: Almost continuous tank battles are proceeding on the Russian front, with the Germans, in spite of their enormous losses, persisting in their efforts to break through the Russian defences.
July 12: Allied forces, ashore in many places along 100 miles of coast, are con solidating their positions in Sicily, and the Axis forces have opened violent counter-attacks. Before the attack from the sea, British and American paratroops and glider forces landed on the island behind the Axis defences, and violent air bombardment, and shelling from a gigan tic fleet, composed of British, American, Dutch, Royal Indian, Polish and Greek ships, preceded the actual landing. It is estimated that the Allied forces are opposed by 300,000 Italians and 100,000 Germans. A communique says all beaches are held firmly, all troops are advancing, and reinforcements are being landed continuously.
July 12: US forces are reported to be closing in on Munda. Another Japanese naval force was sighted approaching New Georgia and on Saturday night it was attacked by Catalina flying-boats.
July 13: In Sicily the Allied forces
have captured 10 ports and towns, seven enemy counter-attacks with tanks have been beaten off and 2,000 prisoners have been taken. It is believed that the suc cess of the operation is now assured.
July 13: On the Russian front, the Red armies have pinned down the new Nazi drive on Orel but violent fighting still continues on this and the Byelgorod sectors.