Current Events January 9, 1943; U. S. BOMBERS HIT BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, REKATA BAY AND SANTA ISABEL IN SOLOMONS / RUSSIANS CLOSING IN O RAIL CENTERS / ALLIES BLAST CONVOYS AT LAE:

             San Mateo Times

    SAN MATE0, CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1943

3^rd JAP TRANSPORT SUNK

Russ Capture Three New Towns

Jap Bases in Solomons Blasted by Fortresses

TWELVE ZEROS SHOT DOWN NO U. S. LOSS

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9-U.P.)—

The Navy announced today that U. S. heavy and medium bombers

have attacked enemy areas and installations on Bougainville Island

and Rekata -Bay on the Island of Santa Isabel in the Solomons.

Twelve Japanese Zero fighters attacked Flying Fortresses over

Bougainville and two were shot down. A Navy communique said,

no U. S. planes were lost in this attack.

The communique said that fires were started by the attack at Rekala

Bay,'and that two enemy float type planes were damaged. Two

U. S. planes were shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire in this location.

Both attacks were earned out on the morning of Jan. 7 (Island

ime).

In the north Pacific area, Liberator heavy bombers have dropped

bombs on enemy positions at Kiska, but results were not observed. This

action also occurred on Jan. 7.

Reds Closing On Caucasus Rail Centers

MOSCOW, Jan. 9. — (U.P)—

Russian armies, their momentum and striking impact increasing

steadily, drove throughput the., night .toward

Rostov and Salsk and closed in on the two key railroad centers

in the Caucasus, dispatches and the noon communique reported

today.

In the area of the southern Don bend and below it, the Russians

captured three towns and villages during the night in fights to the

death against desperate German resistance and in the Caucasus they

drove through the Germans to storm and capture a new inhabited

place.

Trenches Taken

One of Convoy Bound for Lae Escapes U.S.

GEN. M'ARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS,

Australia, Jan. 9.

_(U.P)—Allied, plane's attacked the beaches at. Lae today/starting:

fires and killing many; Japanese, after sinking: the third

of four transports in a Lae bound Japanese convoy,'damaging

the fourth and destroying or damaging 73. enemy planes

in a three-day battle. Fighter and attack bomber planes

led the beach-head attack against the one crippled transport, two

cruisers and four destroyers which had reached Lae after suffering

one of the biggest aerial attacks of the war.

Few Land