SOLOMONS BESET

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 244, 16 October 1942, Page 2

SOLOMONS BESET

POWERPUl J4P. FORCES U.S. PLANES HITTING BACK STRONG FLEET APPROACHING.

B.G.W.

RUGBY, Oct. 15,

A U.S. Navy Department communique issued to-day states .that the Japanese have succeeded in landing i*einforcements on the north coast of Guadalcanar, but 33 Japanese aircraft have been destroyed and seven Japanese ships hit, including a battleship. This ineludes hits scored by aircraft and also by shore batteries, which hit three destroyers which were among the Japanese force bombarding our positions on Guadalcanar on Tuesday. night. This force was believcd to contain battleships, cruisers and destroyers, and apparently was iadditional to the force which escorted the tilansports landing Japanese troops on the north eoast of the island. The full version of the communique reads: Despatches from our forces in the South Pacific reveal the following chronological developments leading up to the current battle in the Guadalcanar area: — On the morning of Monday Army Flying Fortresses bombed an airfield and shore establishments on Buka Island. Fires were started and ten wrecked bombers and fighters were c-bserved on the ground. Army bombers hit and set fire to one cargo ship at Buin Island and damaged another. Six enemy fighters were shot down. "Navy Marine Corps aircraft attacked enemy ships southward of New Georgia Island. Gn the afternoon of Tuesday airfields at Guadalcanar were twice bombed by the enemy. Three enemy planes were shot down. One of our fighters was lost. By nightfall United States auxiliaries had landed. reinforcements for our troops on Guadalcanar. Although the ships were attacked by enemy -bombers no damage was suffered. Our shins unloaded and

withdrew. During Tuesday night the airfield and land shore installations on Guadalcanar were heavily bombarded by an enemy surface force believed to contain battleships, cruisers and destroyers. Shore batteries scored three hits on enemy destroyers during the bombardment. On the afternoon of Wednesday Guadalcanar airfield was attacked by two separate groups of enemy bombers, each with fighter escort. Our fighters were unable to intercept thS first flight, which contained about 25 aircraft. During the second attack we shot down nine of 15 bombers and also destroyed four fighters, We lost one fighter. Early on Thursday morning enemy transports, escorted by destroyers, cruisers and one battleship, were sighted off Savo Island. This force proceeded to land troops on the north coast . of Guadalcanar westward of our airfield. An aircraft striking group attacked the enemy ships, making three direct hits on one transport, while two other transports were left burning. The Japanese battleship was damaged and one enemy fighter destroyed. Other enemy forces, including heavy units, have been sighted in ihe vicinity of Guadalcanar.