SUCCESS IN SOLOMONS

Southland Times, Issue 24836, 31 August 1942, Page 5

SUCCESS IN SOLOMONS

HEAVY JAPANESE LOSSES (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 29. The position of our forces in the Guadalcanar-Tulagi area has been sufficiently well established to warrant the release of details of the action in the Solomons, which has been in progress since early on the morning of August 7, states a Navy Department communique. Our approach to the area of operations was accomplished under cover of overcast cloud, making aerial reconnaissance difficult. On the night of August 6 the weather cleared and our transports and screening forces proceeded unopposed. The actual landing operations began early on the morning of August

7 under the strong protection of carrier-based aircraft and supporting fire from the surface vessels. A complete surprise was effected and beach-heads were soon established. Varying degrees of resistance were encountered. By nightfall our troops were in possession of a strong beachhead in the Tenaru river region of Guadalcanar and had captured most of Tulagi, all of Gavutu and occupied a position at Halabo, on Florida. During the night and early the following morning the island of Tanambodo, which is connected with Gavutu by a causeway, was taken in face of strong opposition. Before, during and after these attacks long-range army bombers engaged in co-ordinated search operations. These bombers delivered heavy attacks on enemy ships and air bases in New Britain, New Guinea and the Solomons area. AMERICAN LOSSES MODERATE Our operations on August 7 resulted in a heavy loss to the enemy of both men and aircraft, also the loss of control of all vital positions in the GuadalcanarTulagi area and the loss of large quantities of supplies when the positions surrendered. We had one destroyer damaged, but our losses in men and aircraft were moderate during the first day’s operations. On the night of August 7 and the following morning supplies and equipment were hurriedly unloaded from the ships and sent ashore to assist our - patrols, who were consolidating their gains. Forty or more enemy torpedo planes attacked the ships in the harbour, hitting a destroyer and an unloaded transport. The enemy lost 14 planes. During enemy air attacks on August 7 and 8 our carrier planes and anti-aircraft guns shot down 47 Japanese planes. By sundown on August 8 the area occupied on Guadalcanar had been expanded and an airfield which the Japanese had nearly completed had been captured. Enemy resistance on Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambodo had been overcome and equipment captured which the Japanese were using to develop a major naval base. Japanese surface vessels made a strong attempt to disrupt the unloading of transports and cargo ships on the night of August 8. Our cruisers and destroyers intercepted the attack and forced the enemy to retreat before reaching the vessels engaged in landing operations. Close range fighting in this action resulted in damage to the enemy and our forces.

POSITIONS BOMBARDED By the following night unloading operations had been completed and our transports and cargo ships had left the area. The Marines had overcome all major opposition on Guadalcanar, Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambodo, Makambo and a portion of Florida by noon on August 10. Mopping up operations have continued to date. Several small contingents of enemy troops have been landed on the islands. We held the largest landing made by 700 troops on Guadalcanar on August 21. Our positions have been bombarded by surface craft, submarines and aircraft, but our losses as a result of these attacks have been small. Every enemy attempt to recapture the lost positions has resulted in the complete annihilation or capture of all the troops that landed. Reconnaissance aircraft on August 23 observed several detachments of enemy ships, including transports, approaching Guadalcanar. An action at sea ended in the withdrawal of the enemy surface forces. While this action was in progress the enemy made three strong air attacks on Guadalcanar, which were repulsed by our aircraft operating from a captured air-field.

JAPANESE TAKEN BY SURPRISE

Objectives Gained Within 48 Hours (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 29. A United States armada, supported by Australian Navy units and bombers and fighters, surprised the Japanese in the Solomons and accomplished all the prescribed objectives within 48 hours, says the United Press correspondent, Robert Miller, in a dispatch from Guadalcanar Island. The Japanese strongholds on Tulagi, Tanambodo, Moamda and Makameo were captured and objectives controlling the larger Guadalcanar and Florida Islands were occupied according to plan. The Japanese battle casualties far exceeded those of the United Nations. Japanese bombing raids were beaten off by anti-aircraft fire and an umbrella of Navy fighters, which together destroyed 40 Japanese planes off Guadalcanar in the first two days. The Marines’ greatest prize was the Japanese-built airport on Guadalcanar, which was immediately placed in operation. The Americans also captured intact the base installations, scores of huge trucks and great quantities of stores, food and fuel. The fleeing Jap-

anese did not destroy a single piece of vital equipment. The landing so surprised them that they fled into the jungle, leaving unfinished bowls of rice in the mess halls. The story of Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambodo is an epic of American courage, heroism and devotion to duty comparable with Batan, Wake Island and Corregidor. The fighting was so furious in these islands that only a few Japanese prisoners were taken. Six hundred defenders on Tulagi fought to the last man. Twelve hundred Japanese on Gavutu refused to surrender. They retreated to caves, where they died fighting. The Marines’ casualties were amazingly light in comparison with those of the Japanese. Brigadier-General Rupertus, the Marines’ commander, said: “What these men did here was far above and beyond all devotion to duty and the United States should be proud of them.”