SOLOMONS CAMPAIGN

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 249, 22 October 1942, Page 5

SOLOMONS CAMPAIGN

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION \ STRATEGY OF THE RIVAL FLEETS.

P.A. Gable.

NEW YORK, Oct. 20.

Informed circles believe that American and Japanese naval forces are now jockeying for position for the decisive battle for the Solomons, says the New York Times's Washington correspondent. Compilation of reports received in Washington indicates that the Japanese forces are probably concentrated north and west of Guadalcanar, principally around New Georgia. The enemy could steam over-

night to the battle area at Guadalcanar from the region between New Georgia and Rabaul, the principal Japanese base. Ships in this locality are too far away for steady attacks by aircraft based on Guadalcanar, likewise they are quite distant from the American heavy bomber bases in Australia, New Caledonia, and the New Hebrides. Qualified observers express the opinion that either of two factors may have checked the Japanese on Guadalcanar after their landing near the American positions and their temporary successes in bombing and shelling the airfield. Firstly, the enemy may have encountered more air, land and sea resistance than he anticipated. Secondly, the Japanese may not be planning to conduct an immediate land campaign, but instead are seeking a naval victory as a prelude to the recapture of the airfield by land attack. The number of enemy vessels already sighted indicates the possibility that he anticipates a sea engagement. A reference in to-day's communique to auxiliaries is significant since a task force sent out to make a fast attack on an island position would not hamper itself with auxiliaries, other than a few tankers. Auxiliaries normally make for relatively ponderous fleet movements. If the Japanese are seeking a naval engagement it is obvious that Admiral Ghormley, Commander in the South Pacific, and Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, will attempt to outmanoeuvre them and decide the conditions and time at which such an engagement will be held. Hence observers are watching with keen interest operations on Guadalcanar itself, but none omits consideration of the possibility that what began as an island raid may eventuate in a naval engagement of record proportions.