INSPIRED STAND

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 29, 29 October 1942, Page 5

INSPIRED STAND

Guadalcanal Hell Described MANY JAP TROOPS (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received October 28, 11.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 27. “With inspiring courage, faith, and devotion the United States marine, navy, and army forces have stood as steady as a stone wall under a terrible ordeal of Shelling and bombing preliminary to an all-out Japanese bid for the Solomons,” said John Dowling in a dispatch to the New York written on October 15. “For three days Japanese bombers in waves of 30, escorted by Zeros, were over our position. For three nights Japanese battleships, heavy and light cruisers, and destroyers have hurled everything they had into our lines. Yet our people are still here, smiling. “Under cover of this never-ending barrage the enemy has landed 12,000 fresh troops within 10 miles of our positions, but not without losses to himself. The Japanese now have 17,000 men ready to attempt to wrest the airfield from us, but it has already cost him 20 warships, sunk or damaged, to get here, and the marines are ready.

“The story of these past days is as inspiring as it is tragic, as full of courage as of heartbreaks. For three days we have had no sleep and little food, simply because there is no time. Our magnificent marine, army, and navy flyers have huddled sleeplessly all night, and then flown the torpedo planes and dive-bombers all day. Their story is an epic of the air. “They are flying till the planes fall apart, and then patching them with spit and tin and sending them up again.” Further Japanese troop landings have been announced by Washington since the date of the above dispatch. DARWIN’S SHIELD Heaviest Australian Barrage (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received October 28, 9.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 28. Nine Japanese bombers raiding Darwin in moonlight early yesterday morning encountered the heaviest anti-aircraft barrage that has ever been put up in Australia. The enemy planes were thrown off their objective, and they jettisoned their bombs harmlessly. Though none of the raiders were shot down in the area, it is 'believed that some were damaged and may not have reached their base. Three Allied raids have been made in the past 24 hours. The jierodrome at Dilli, in Timor, was raided by Hudson bombers. At Lae a formation of our Beauflghters carried out a strafing attack and destroyed three barges and ■silenced anti-aircraft positions. One Beauligliter was lost. Our attack bombers strafed the Japanese supply, trail in Papua from Kokoda to Alola. The spokesman at General MacArthur,’s headquarters reports that there lias been no change in the land position in. the Owen Stanley Ranges. Fighting continues south of Alola, with the Allied forces maintaining their pressure.