LESS ACTIVITY IN SOLOMONS

Southland Times, Issue 24828, 21 August 1942, Page 5

LESS ACTIVITY IN SOLOMONS

Conquest Not Yet Complete

The Press Association’s correspondent at a South Pacific port states that the present apparent lull in the Solomons should not be taken as a sign that conquest has been completed by the Allies or that the Japanese have decided to content themselves with allowing only desultory fighting to disturb American possession. The struggle for sea control may flare up again at any moment. It is possible that the present monsoonal weather is partly accounting for the reduction of activity. In any case it is evident that the Allied fleet has been regrouped and is ready for the expected challenge. The Japanese may seek some means of recapturing the initiative that does not necessitate risking a major fleet engagement. Meanwhile, land fighting has by no means ceased. The initiative and advantage are in the hands of the American forces, but the natural characteristics of the islands make it impossible for complete occupation to be achieved until the last Japanese formation has been annihilated. Although defeated in that they have lost control of the south-eastern Solomons area, the Japanese have not yet been militarily liquidated. Strong forces, although on the defensive, are still in being beyond the Americans’ forward positions, and there has been no hint that an enemy surrender is even in prospect. While the Americans are steadily strengthening their own positions, organizing their bases and still fighting offensive actions beyond them; the Japanese are bitterly struggling for delay, either to give their fleet time to relieve them by direct assault or to enable a counter-offensive to be developed elsewhere for the purpose of drawing off the Allied blockade which now stands between the enemy and successful reinforcement. Their control of pivotal areas and the seaways of the southeastern Solomons has enabled the Americans to complete their local organization for further action and the necessary maintenance. However, the correspondent again urges that notwithstanding the marked success and continued progress achieved, the operation is still in the balance. The scales are tipped down in favour of the Allies, but much can still happen. Attention must remain riveted on the sea, and restrained optimism is still the keynote to the general outlook. LOSS OF CANBERRA Captain Mortally Wounded (Rec. 9.25 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 20. The Australian cruiser Canberra has been lost in action in the Solomons, according to an announcement by the Prime Minister, Mr John Curtin, who said the Canberra was lost while cooperating with other Australian vessels and American naval forces. The Canberra is the third and largest cruiser lost by the Royal Australian Navy during this war. The number of casualties was few in relation to the ship’s complement, said Mr Curtin. Of the complement of 816 officers and men the casualties were: 10 died of wounds, 74 missing, believed killed, and 109 wounded. Of the total casualties 20 were officers and 173 ratings. It has not been revealed whether the Canberra was lost in action or was sunk by aircraft. The captain of the cruiser, Captain Frank Edmund Getting, was mortally wounded. He entered the Royal Australian Naval College as a cadet midshipman in 1912 and was appointed to command the Canberra in June of this year.

The Canberra and her sister ship, the Australian, were sisters to the British Kent class. The Canberra, a cruiser of 9850 tons, was laid down by John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank, in 1925 and completed in July 1928. She was armed with eight 8-inch guns, eight 4-inch anti-aircraft guns and several smaller guns. Her designed speed was 31.5 knots. AUSTRALIA PLEASED Japanese Base Exposed (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.)

(Rec. 10.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 20. In the absence of an official statement on the progress of the fighting in the Solomons commentators continue to express satisfaction with the course of the action. Japanese attacks have been repulsed with heavy losses and three enemy submarines have been destroyed, according to an unofficial message. The consolidation of the American positions brings Bougainville, the main Japanese base in the northern part of the group, within 90 minutes’ flight for our bombers. Moreover, our planes will be able to attack Japanese naval units bringing up supplies and reinforcements to this base.

Hanson Baldwin, The New York Times military commentator, gives a warning that the operations in the Solomons can only become a serious distraction from the Asiatic mainland for the Japanese if the United States mustered really large forces of ships and planes “for the bloody business of island hopping.” He adds that the Solomons could scarcely absorb more than a few Japanese divisions, while the islands for which the United States Marines are fighting probably did not contain more than 5000 to 10,000 Japanese.

USE OF AIR FIELDS ON SOLOMONS (Special Australian Correspondent, N.ZP.A.) (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 20. The official silence continues about the two war sectors most vital to Australia and New Zealand—the Solomon Islands and Papua. It is understood, however, that the Americans are now using several air-fields on Guadalcanar and Tulagi. Observers here agree that a big naval battle must soon be joined. It is felt that Japan will support a strong naval expedition with a big air force. Land fighting is expected to continue for several weeks. The issue in Papua is still uncertain, despite the confidence of the military experts in our ability to hold an enemy back-door attempt to make a land assault on Port Moresby across the Owen Stanley Range. Future Japanese action is likely to be guided by the success of their present patrol drives towards the ranges. If appreciable advances are made it is thought they will make stronger attempts to break through the rest of the way. ATTACK ON~JAPANESE WARSHIPS (Rec. 9.25 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 20. Flying Fortresses of the South-west Pacific Command struck in the Northern Solomons on Wednesday. They made an attack on Japanese warships off the islands of Faisi. The results are not known. The announcement from General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters does not reveal whether the Japanese warships were reinforcements for the Solomons battle or were retiring from the battle zone. Our planes encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire, but all returned. This was the first blow struck by the bombers of the South-west Pacific

Command in the Solomons since the raids on Buka aerodrome early in the battle. Our medium bombers over Timor attacked an enemy-occupied town from a low altitude. The results were not observed.