SIMULTANEOUS JAP. ATTACKS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXV, Issue 254, 28 October 1942, Page 5

SIMULTANEOUS JAP. ATTACKS

LAND, SEA AND AIR OFFENSIVE NAVAL LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES

P.A. Cable.

WASHINGTON, October 27.

Since Sunday morning simultaneous land, naval and aerial battles have been raging in the Solomons. area, where the Japanese have launched a heavy land offensive on the island of Guadalcanar, which U.S. Marines and troops are stubbornly resisting. Over land and sea the warplanes of both nations are engaged in bombing and combat, while at sea both sides have delivered hard blows, principally by aircraft. So far there has been 110 report of exchanges between surface ships. The U.S. commander has admitted ihe loss in air attacks of a destroyer, severe damage to an aircraft-carrier, and less serious bomb damage to other warships. Two Japanese carriers were damaged in one action alone, while bombers and dive-bombers, still using Henderson airfield on Guadalcanar and ranging among the islands to the northwards, have seored bomb ihits on enemy cruisers. American fighters defending Henderson aerodrome have taken a heavy toll of enemy raiders. Colonel Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy, told pressmen that the Solomons sea and alr battle was one of manoeuvre. The Americans, he said, were putting up a game flght against strong Japanese forces and the outcome of the engagement was not yet clear. The Japanese had lots of strength and it was a dour, tough, stiff fight. Losses couldi be expected, said Colonel Knox, but he scouted Japanese claims to have sunk four U.S. cruisers and a battleship. "It is just another of their fishing expeditions, " he declared. "I am not foreshadowing results," he added, "and I am certainly not foreshadowing defeat." A high Navy official stated to-day that the U.S. forces were strongly outnumbered' in the Pacific.

CO-ORDINATED JAP. ATTACKS. The official Navy Department communique, issued on October 25, states: "The Japanese have launched a co-ordinated land, sea and air attack on Guadalcanar. The Army, Marines, and aircraft opposed the attacks in a heavy action all day on Sunday. "An American carrier task foree exchanged aerial thrusts with a strong enemy foree north-west of Guadalcanar. The American destroyer Porter was sunk and a carrier severely damaged. Other vessels suffered lesser damage. "Two enemy carriers were damaged in this action. Details are mcomplete. "On Sunday, in the early morning, enemy troops determinedly attacked the southern flank of our positions on Guadalcanar. The Army and Marines held their positions. "In the middle of the morning a foree of enemy cruisers and destroyers shelled Guadalcanar from the northward. Early in the afternoon Douglas Dauntless dive-bombers from Guadalcanar attacked a foree of enemy cruisers and destroyers northward of Florida Island. A direct bomb hit damaged and stopped one enemy eruiser and shortly afterwards 16 enemy dive-bombers attacked an airfield. Five were shot down. Nine more bombers attacked an airfield soon after, inflicting minor damage. "Late in the afternoon dive-bomb-ers from Guadalcanar again struck a foree of enemy cruisers and destroyers northwards of Florida. One bomb hit is reported on an enemy eruiser. "Army Flying Fortresses struck at the same forcO ten minutes later and scored two bomb hits on an enemy light eruiser which was left burning and dead in the water. "Enemy fighters were active over our positions periodically all day. Gruman Wildoats are reported to have destroyed 17 of these planes." Colonel Knox, the Navy Secretary, stated that the U.S. aircraft-carrier Wasp was lost during convoy duty. The naval battle in the Solomons area. was one of manoeuvre rather than one in which fieets lined up to each other. Both fieets were still in the battle area.