U.S. SHORE POSITIONS

Evening Star, Issue 24328, 17 October 1942, Page 5

U.S. SHORE POSITIONS

ATTACK BY ENEMY BOMBERS ATTEMPTS TO RETAKE AIRFIELD (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) / SYDNEY, October 16. According to a Washington message a Navy Department spokesman said that stern fighting was continuing, but no complete view could be obtained until the action was finishing. So far as the land fighting was concerned, all the information available was being released as quickly as possible. It was announced from Washington shortly after midday to-day that 27 Japanese bombers had again attacked United States shore positions on Guadalcanal, but details are lacking. Enemy surface forces, including two transports, are still moving in the waters around Savo Island. Three enemy transports earlier reported as damaged have been observed on the beach at Guadalcanal, still burning. There is no news, however, of how tlie fighting either by land or sea is going.

NO WITHDRAWAL. The aggregate of the Japanese Josses so far announced in the Solomons fighting is now 58 ships sunk or damaged and 330 planes destroyed. It is believed here that this time Japan will make no strategic withdrawal, and her retirement from the present battle will be forced only by decisive and complete defeat of her air and naval strengths. This opinion is confirmed by the New York ‘Herald-Tribune,’ which says: “ The Guadalcanal-Tulagi area is one of the most important strategic positions in the South-west Pacific, and its continued possession by the United Nations means that the road is open for attacks to the north-west through the islands towards the Japanese base at Rabaiil, in New Britain, and ultimately Truk and the Carolines. Thus the Japanese have no option but to attempt to recover the positions, no matter what losses are entailed.”

Where the Japanese ground troops have mainly landed on the north coast of Guadalcanal is hilly and heavily wooded, with I,oooft peaks close to the shore. It is a suitable place for landing, and is believed to he inaccessible to the American forces protecting Henderson airfield. These Japanese troops have apparently struck overland to engage the Americans in hitter fighting in their attempts to repossess the airfield. HEAVY EQUIPMENT. The American defenders are experienced in jungle warfare, and have had many skirmishes with Japanese scouting parties. They must also possess distinct advantages in heavy weapons—artillery and tanks. It is possible, however, that the Japanese have numerical superiority, as they have been lauding reinforcements intermittently since their original forces on Guadalcanal were driven hack into the jungle when the American marines landed on August 7. “ Guadalcanal has become the focal point of a major battle which may be crucial in the struggle between the United States and Japan,” the Washington correspondent of the ‘ New York Times ’ says. “ This became clear today, when the navy announced that the Japanese had landed more reinforcements near the American airfield in sipite of heavy losses inflicted by the defenders. One rather ominous note in the navy communique was the statement that other enemy forces, including heavy units, have been sighted in the vicinity of Guadalcanal, indicating strongly that a decisive sea iu.*t* , n is in the making.’

GUADALCANAL AIR FIELD SYDNEY, October 16. A message from New York says that so far few conclusions can be drawn by observers from the navy’s partial reports, but two possibilities arc notable at present in the reports. The first is that the power of the Japanese indicates that the main battle fleet is hacking this excursion against Guadalcanal, and the other is that the renewed ability of the Japanese to bomb Guadalcanal may make the field useless for planes and thereby ground the bombers based there as the principal defence against invasion ships. Navy spokesmen have repeatedly expressed the opinion that Guadalcanal could be held, but this prediction has been qualified by the “if ” that it depended on the extent to which the Japanese were prepared, if necessary, to pay a very large price. This leaves the issue one to be determined by the amount of force that can he rushed to the aid of the defenders.

In the Now Hebrides American positions on Espiritu Santo Island were shelled from the sea by an enemy vessel, believed to he a submarine.

In the far north, another of thb Aleutian Islands in the Andreanof group has been occupied by .United States forces.