SOLOMONS NAVAL BATTLE.

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 244, 16 October 1942, Page 4

SOLOMONS NAVAL BATTLE.

■ 9 3 The hammering inflicted by the United States naval and air forces on the Japanese fleet in its attempt to cover a considerable landing of troops on Guadalcanar Island is regarded as perhaps the most heartening news received from the South-west Pacific since the American Marines occupied the soutli-eastern Solomons. Despite the retirement of the enemy from this action, however, the essential issue remains to be fought out. It cannot be expected that the Japanese will be flnally deterred. by one defeat. The indications are that their plans are to concentrate all their available Southwest Pacific forces in the Solomons. The impression in both the United States and Britain is that the Japanese are going slowly in New Guinea and the Aleutians in order to muster their forces for a great effort in this area. ' Their principal objective is clear enough. It is the possesSion of the Guadalcanar airfleld. This, it is pointed out in London, would enable them to prcsecute their prime purpose in the South-west Pacific— the attempted occUpation of New Caledonia, placing

them across the supply line from America to Australia and New Zealand. "Tokio," remarks- the Daily Telegraph, "is showing that it is well aware that unless the Japanese hold the airfields and harbours of the island chain from Asia- across the South-west Pacific they cannot keep their conquests. ; ' The outcome of the Solomons battle — or series of battles to come — could materially affect the fortunes of the United Nations. For Australia and New Zealand the issue has imminent importance. "If the Japanese drove the Americans from Guadalcanar,' ' a Sydney paper points out, "the eastern coast of Australia and the Allied; supply route to this country and New Zealand >would be open to a flanking attack." The position at sea must be resolved decisively in favour of the Allies before there can be any strategical safety in the South-west Pacific, Air power, as the New York Times insists, is not enough. The Pacific war is a sea war, and naval superiority as well as air superiority is essential to final victory. That the Japanese hold at present a kind of hit-and-run superiority in and around the shores of the Solomons Islands is evidenced by the fact that their surface craft have continued to land considerable numbers of troops nightly on Guadalcanar. Some uneasiness has been expressed as to the possibility of these infiltrations surpassing the strength of the defending forces. The American Marines, however, recently succeeded in extending their position on the north shore of Guadalcanar, as the result of operations in which the enemy suffered many casualties. Additional assurance is given by the news of the arrival of American Army land forces. Decidedly . encouraging, too, is the statement made to a Press conference at Pearl Harbour by Admiral Nimilz, Com-mander-in-Chief of the U.S, Fleet, after a recent flying visit to Guadalcanar and other Allied bases in the South Pacific. He expressed the " utmost confidence' ' that the United States forces in the Solomons would consolidate their holdings and continue the Pacific offensivC begun there. Among the observations he made, one that carries particular significance is that the continued sinkings of Japanese cargo ships is obviously affecting the enemy's supply problem. Japan's Achilles heel has been further expcsed. V