ALLIED ATTACK ON SOLOMONS

Southland Times, Issue 24818, 10 August 1942, Page 5

ALLIED ATTACK ON SOLOMONS

GOOD PROGRESS AGAINST JAPANESE RESISTANCE (United Press Association— Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, August 9. Opening what have been described as very great operations,” ships of the United States Pacific Fleet assisted by units stationed in the south-west Pacific area and Australian warships and land and air forces yesterday launched an attack on the Tulagi area of the Japanese-occupied Solomon Islands. The latest news of the fighting is contained in a communique issued by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the American Pacific Fleet, which states that the attack is progressing favourably, in spite of Japanese land and air opposition. It is known that Allied land forces are already in action.

Simultaneously, with the attack on the Solomons, United States naval forces bombarded enemy ships and shore establishments at Kiska (Aleutians). The recent Japanese occupation of three undefended and comparatively unimportant island groups north of Australia is overshadowed by the simultaneous American offensives against the Japanese in the Solomon and Aleutian Islands. The United Nations’ counter-offensive in the Pacific was begun with an attack by naval “and other forces” in the south-east part of the Solomons while warships bombarded the enemy at Kiska, the easternmost of the three Aleutian Islands seized by Japan. At the same time Chungking reports that American bombers again attacked a Japanese aerodrome near Canton and destroyed severa aircraft on the ground. Military installations and docks were also bombed and machine-gunned. _ . South-west Pacific naval and air forces are participating in an attack on the Japanese occupied south-east Solomon Islands. This is revealed in the latest Allied headquarter’s communique, but no further details are given, states a Sydney message. On Friday and Saturday Allied air forces delivered a series of smashing blows against enemy bases, with aerodromes as the primary objectives. For the first time m this theatre 20001 b bombs were used.