Late News FULL STORY NOT YET GIVEN

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 21, 20 October 1942, Page 5

Late News FULL STORY NOT YET GIVEN

Air Operations In Solomons AMERICAN CAUTION (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received October 20, 1.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, October 19. “The general impression among well-informed military observers is that the Solomons picture is not a prettv one,” says the “Herald-Tri-bune’s” Washington correspondent. A Navy spokesman, commenting on the last communique, cautioned against the Department’s unduly optimistic conclusions from the reported American air victories, pointing out that all the details cannot be published because they are valuable to the enemy. From this remark observers inferred that the communique is doubtless unbalanced. . . The ultimate test of victory- is Die possession of the aerodrome. Thus, even though the Japanese have lost many planes, if they recapture the aerodrome they will be able to jeopardize the American sea communications with Australia. The United Press of America cites military- and naval experts to the effect that the outcome of the land fighting on Guadalcanal hinges on the impending naval struggle to determine which side gains the supremacy that is needed to carry reinforcements to the ground forces. Observers are of the opinion Unit the American naval strategy- includes a combination of the American tactics in the Coral Sea and Midway battles and the Japanese tactics in the Java Sea. With enemy- surface units concentrated in tile murow waters of the Solomons. Archipelago, the Strategy would Involve continued assaults against the Japanese fleet bv torpedo and dive-bombers, after which American surface vessels waiting at the mouths of the narrow straits would pounce on the retiring enemy ships as the Japanese attacked the Allied units after the action in the Java Sea.