ONLY REMNANT ON GUADALCANAL

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 103, 26 January 1943, Page 5

ONLY REMNANT ON GUADALCANAL

Estimate Of Enemy BETTER PICTURE OF SITUATION (By Assn.—Copyright.) (Received January 25, 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, January 24. Guadalcanal is being cleared of all effective enemy opposition. Only 4000 Japanese remain alive out of 15,000 who were originally landed on the island. The United States forces have killed 8000, and a further 3000 have died from wounds, disease and starvation. These facts have been disclosed by a marine officer, Lieut.-Colonel fcewis Puller, in an officially sponsored interview. Colonel Puller, who left Guadalcanal on New Year’s Day, said, “The Japanese on the Island are through as far as a real fighting force Is coriceimed. I expect we won’t have much trouble in cleaning up the rest.” He did not regard Mundn, the new enemy air base on New Georgia Island, as a serious threat, added Colonel Puller. The Japanese did not have any effective bases south of Built; in the northern Solomons. Major Offensive? The “New York Times” comments that Colonel Puller’s report indicates that Guadalcanal is now safe as an effective Allied base, with il secure harbour and indefinite possibilities for air expansion. Colonel Puller's report changes considerably the earlier picture of the Guadalcanal situation. A major offensive is now believed to be under way to destroy the remaining Japanese resistance on the island. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times”* says it is not known whether the latest operations foreshadow early plans for an attack on the Japanese positions to the north in the .Solomons, but adds that this is an obvious probability in view of the recent heavy bombings of the advance enemy bases* at Mundii, Shortland Island, and Buin, The recent reinforcement of the American troops on Guadalcanal gives them great numerical superiority Over the Japanese. Nevertheless, experienced officers believe that the difficulties of terrain and the tenacious enemy resistance may make the remaining fighting costly.