DIEPPE AND SOLOMONS OPERATIONS ALIKE
BOTH PRECURSORS OF HEAVIER ATTACKS (Roc. 11 a.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 21. Tho ‘ New York Times’s * correspondent, Mr Hanson Baldwin, points out tho resemblances between the Dieppe and the Solomons operations. Both were to test the strength of the enemy, and both to create minor diversions and serve notice to the enemy that ho is nowhere secure against attack. Both involved relatively small forces, and both proved that nations controlling so vast coastlines as Japan and Germany cannot 'prevent landings on their territory. Both also proved the difficulties of the attackers would only begin after the landings. In the Solomons, certainly, tho difficulties are only beginning. Although tho cost has been high, the toll must be a continuing one. Indeed, it is -possible that the Solomons expedition might eventually lead to a great fleet and air engagement that will profoundly affect the Pacific war. But Dieppe and the Solomons also carry a deeper significance. They show that the United Nations are conducting unified amphibian operations in which all anus participate, and are finishing the finals of combat training. Gradually limtied offensives have grown in intensity. Gradually the initiative passes from the enemy.
DESTROYERS IN THICK OF IT LAST TO LEAVE SCENE (Rec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 21. A naval observer said the Germans did not see the approach of the main raiding force until.it was within half a mile of the shore. It was an idea! night for a landing raid. Each destroyer was given, a special target for tho initial bombardment, and, despite the half-light, shells thudded on and around the target from one end to the other. The enemy was too busy with tho Canadians to reply immediately to the bombardment, but the boom of tho heavier guns was evidently heard and the destroyers moved out under a smoke screen. By 6.30_ a.m, most of tho heavier shore opposition had been silenced. Occasionally destroyers would steam slowly inshore in order to relieve with their guns any heavy pressure on our troops. One destroyer, manned by Poles, steamed parallel with tho beaches, loosing broadsides at the cliffs and enemy posts above. Air attacks became more frequent and more fierce towards the afternoon, but the R.A.P. lighters reduced the bombing danger to a minimum. Besides the destroyers, light coastal craft gave fine support. They were’ able to approach even closer to tho beach, and their guns were seldom silent. They were invaluable in transporting casualties from the landing craft to the destroyers. The withdrawal called for the biggest smoke screen of the day. The destroyers again opened a bombardment and closed in to give the._ landing craft every possible opportunity to embark the rearguard. The destroyers left last of all. Air cover for the return journey was even greater, and with a few exceptions all the attempts by the German planes to bomb the convoy failed. Tho naval force was under the command of Captain J. Hushes Hnllett, the military force under Major-general J. PI. Roberts, and the Air Force under Air Marshal T. L. Leigh Mallory.
AUCKLANDER WOUNDED WENT ACROSS AS CORRESPONDENT (Rec. 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 21. One of two correspondents wounded at Dieppe was Wallace (Mac) Ileyburn, of Auckland, representing tho ‘ Montreal Standard. 1 He was slightly wounded in a thigh and shoulder. The Moscow radio, quoting a Geneva, report, said that on the night of August 19 ambulance trains with 700 German wounded passed through Paris from Dieppe. More than 3,000 more German wounded were at Rouen awaiting transfer to other towns. The Germans arrested 200 French in the Dieppe area after the raid, “ duo to the hostile attitude of certain French people towards the German troops.” M. do Brinon states that the French civilian death roll in Dieppe is now 36. Tho raid caused extensive material damage and delayed action bombs started fires in the evening. Do Brinon said the Germans estimated that 3,500 British wore killed at Dieppe. A German communique claims that 2,095 of the enemy were taken prisoner during tho raid, 617 of them being wounded. The ‘Evening News’ says: “Because tanks which set out for Dieppe were relanded in England some people believed wo w’ero able to re-erabark some tanks which landed in France. This is not true. If we had not lost a fairly large number of landing craft it might have been possible to got off tho tanks, but it was a case of men before tanks.”
U-BOAT SUNK BY FLYING BOAT SAN SALVADOR (Brazil), August 20. Jack Lacey, the pilot of a Catalina, described how he sank a German submarine off the coast of Bahia after five Brazilian ships had been sunk. Ho was patrolling the coast when he sighted a German submarine with seven of the crew on deck. He dived and machine-gunned the submarine, which returned the fire from its deck gun. Two of the crew of the submarine were hit and fell overboard. The. conningtower hatch was closed so quickly that the other live remained on deck as the submarine submerged. The plane then dropped four bombs, and at least one direct hit was scored, which capsized the submarine, after which oil and wreckage floated to the surface.
TRAINING FOR WAR GENE TUHHEY DEPOSED TO SPORT NEW YORE- August 20. “ Anything Commander Tunney says is worthy of serious attention,” said Mr R. R. Patterson" Under-Secretary of War, at a Press conference in Washington, when asked about a statement by Gene Tunney that “ You cannot train a man to be a fighter by playing football or base,ball.” Commander Tunney, a former world champion boxer, criticised the public clamour for army and navy athletic extravaganzas, such as all-star baseball and football. He said; “We have just got to stop this athletic “ boondoggling.’ It has no place in war or the preparations for war.” Mr Patterson said that constant study was being given to cutting down spectator sports which draw upon athletes in military training.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19420822.2.50.8
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Evening Star, Issue 24280, 22 August 1942, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
992DIEPPE AND SOLOMONS OPERATIONS ALIKE Evening Star, Issue 24280, 22 August 1942, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Star. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.