HEAVILY BOMBED

Evening Star, Issue 24330, 20 October 1942, Page 3

HEAVILY BOMBED

JAPANESE SHIPS IN SOLOMONS

THREE CRUISERS BELIEVED HIT

(N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent)

SYDNEY, October 19. Australian land-based flying forces have made four separate raids on the powerful concentration of Japanese warships and transports off Bougainville Island, in the North-west Solomons. Three Japanese cruisers are believed to have been hit with I,ooolb bombs, a merchantman was set on fire, and seven flying boats were destroyed or damaged. A seaplane tender and cargo vessels were attacked with unknown results.

The.raids, which were made by probably the largest force of bombers sent from General MacArthur’s command to help the American defenders in the Solomons, began early on Sunday morning and lasted through several hours of darkness The last flight saw the Japanese vessels burning fiercely. Not a single Allied plane was lost. Japanese Zero night-fighters attempted to intercept the third flight of planes, but their attack was weak and easily beaten off. The first formation of Fortresses to fly over the target area near Buin dropped flares which illuminated the J apanese shipping at anchor in a stretch of water which’ has been used by the enemy for some time as a naval dispersal area. In this initial instalment 22 tons of bombs were dropped among the shipping, and the planes then proceeded to bomb and strafe the airfield which the Japanese are using for operations against the American fortress on Guadalcanal.

The second attack, which is believed to have hit three Japanese cruisers, was helped by the light from the burning ships. The third group bombed a large seaplane tender and cargo vessel, while the final flight came in at a» low altitude and strafed a cargo vessel, setting it ablaze. They, then destroyed or damaged a number of large flying boats with ihcendiaries. This was the sixth series of attacks made by Australian-based planes against Ruin in the past fortnight. It was the nineteenth attack made in that period against the three main bases from which Japanese bombers could operate against the American positions in the Solomons. Rabaul has been raided six times with nearly 200 tons of bombs and Buka seven times. In addition Japanese warships and transport concentrations in the. Buin-Faisi area were attacked several times earlier this month' by Beaufort torpedo bombers, as well as by other land-based bombers and carrier aircraft.

U.S. SHIPS IN ACTION

JAPANESE POSITIONS BOMBARDED

HEAVY EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES CAUSED

(Rec. 11,35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, October 19. The Navy Department announced that American .surface ships bombarded the Japanese on North-western Guadalcanal, causing heavy explosions and fires. Direct hits were scored on ammunition dumps.

IMPORTANCE OF AERODROME

POSSESSORS CAN JEOPARDISE SEA COMMUNICATIONS

(Rce. 8 a.m.) ' NEW YORK, October 19. _ The impression of well-informed military observers is that the Solomons picture is not pretty, says the 1 Herald-Tri-bune.’ A Washington Navy Department spokesman cautioned against drawing unduly optimistic conclusions from the reported American victories, pointing out that all details cannot be published because they are valuable to the enemy. From this remark observe ers inferred that the communique was not balanced. The ultimate test of victory is' possession of the aerodrome. Thus, even though they lost many planes, if the Japanese recapture the aerodrome they will be able to jeopardise American sea communications with Australia.

The United Press 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 needed to carry reinforcements to the ground forces. Observers are of the opinion that American naval strategy includes a combination of American tactics in the Coral Sea and at Midway, and Japanese tactics in the Java Sea. With enemy surface units concentrated in narrow waters of the Solomons Archipelago strategy would involve continued assaults against the Japanese fleet by torepdo and dive bombers, after which American surface vessels waiting in the mouths of the narrow straits would pounce on retiring enemy ships as the Japanese attacked Allied units after the main action in the Java Sea.

TESTING THEIR DESTINY

FANATICAL FAITH IN VICTORY

NEW YORK, October 18. “ The Japanese have apparently decided to make a test of their destiny in the Solomons,” says the New York ‘ Herald-Tribune,’ in an editorial predicting that if Japan was initially repulsed she would keep coming back with ever stronger forces. “ The Japanese feel that if they cannot recover these bits of territory they are going to lose their new empire piece by piece, and might as well know it now. The Japanese are well aware of the strategic loss sliffered at Guadalcanal, but they are_ more concerned over the psychological effect on their armed forces if they cannot retake this prize. “ One of Japan’s most precious military assets is the fixed belief that no Power on earth can take territory from her. This faith in Japan’s destiny as a conquering nation, which enables a.soldier to give his life in the knowledge that it is buying the Emperor and the people .everlasting aggrandisement, must be kept untarnished at any cost.” The ‘ Herald-Tribune ’ also says that if the Americans were thrown out of 'the Solomons Japanese morale would soar td unprecedented heights. The men commanding Japan’s counteroffensive no doubt feel that Japan’s whole future of world power is at stake, and will take any chances such consideration dictates.

Such of the cable news In this issue as is so headed has appeared in ' The Times,’ and is sent to this paper by special permission It should be understood that the opinions are not those of ' The Times 1 unless expressly stated to be so.