Salt Lake Telegram | 1943-07-21 | Page 1 | U. S. Fliers Sink Three More Jap Warships

r IKS US Fliers Sink Sink Three More Jap Warships Scatter Big Convoy Headed Toward Central Solo Solomons mons AL ALLIED LIE D HEADQUARTERS Southwest Pacific July 21 UP UPU U. U U. U S. S bombers sank three and pr probably bably four warships Tuesday to smash the largest scale Japanese attempt yet to reinforce their base at Vila in the central Solomons a announced Wed 1 n I IOne IOne One light cruiser and two and probably three destroyers were bl blasted sted to the bottom and another destroyer and and a transport Ver were damaged The surviving sur vessels of the ship 11 convoy fled northward northward northward north north- ward out of the range of American bombers It was the first time lime since the start of the allied offensive that the Japanese have used transports in their attempts to build up Vila on the southeastern coast of Ko- Ko island to replace I Munda as their main base in the central Solo Solomons mons The garrison there already numb numbers rs at least men Munda Surrounded Munda on New Georgia Island southeast of Vila Ylla virtually has been surrounded General Douglas MacArthurs MacArthur's said and It its capture is believed only a matter of time Tightening investment at Munda Munda Munda Mun Mun- da now has h s rendered render d supply arid and reinforcement to the enemy dangerous dangerous dan dan- and difficult the pique iq said d Slow but constant at ered garrison garron r can cah c n Ib b bo t exp unless our bl blockading ring can be bro bro- ken prowling Night-prowling American Catalin Catalina Cata- Cata lin lina flying bo boats boats- ts th spotted the Vila- Vila bound convoy conoy early Tuesday trying try try- ing to sneak down the w west st coast of under cover of darkness Sprawled out on the inky sea below were three e light cruls cruisers rs six destroyers and two transports Planes Respond A An alarm alarm was sent back to toe headquarters e and forces of four- four Liberators Mitchell medium medium medium me me- bombers and Avenger dive bombers bombers' responded As they hey approached the two transports with an escort of three destroyers separated and headed head d di i for Vila while the other warships stood off as protective cover The bombers attacked both formations formations formations for for- I with bombs ranging up to pound rs When Then the smoke clear cleared d the surviving enemy ships had withdrawn without reaching their objective Two o medium and two dive bombers were lost Boosts Total to 29 The latest successes boosted the number of Japanese ships sunk by allied warships and planes In tn the first 21 days of the central Solomons Solomons Solomons Solo Solo- mons campaign to 29 the number probably s sunk dunk nl to fo foUr r and the number dama damaged ed to 11 Nearly all were hit while trying to push through supplies or reinforcements reinforcements' to Vila or Munda A strong force of Lb Liberators early Tuesday pounded Kahili Kahill airdrome airdrome airdrome air air- drome in n the FalsE Bum area of the northern Solomons from which the Japanese have been sending aerial support and reinforcements reinforcements reinforcements rein rein- to the central Solo Solo- mons mona two Forty-two tons tons of bombs were dropped starting fires and explosions One unit bombed the adjacent airdrome airdrome- and ran into night fighter opposition One night fighter was shot down but butone butone butone one Liberator was lost