BATTLE FOR THE SOLOMONS

Southland Times, Issue 24877, 17 October 1942, Page 5

BATTLE FOR THE SOLOMONS

Enemy Attack On Guadalcanar WASHINGTON, October 15. A United States Navy communique states that the Japanese succeeded in landing reinforcements on the north coast of Guadalcanar but that 33 Japanese aircraft had been destroyed and seven Japanese ships hit, including a battleship. This includes the hits scored by aircraft and also by the shore batteries which hit three destroyers which were among the Japanese force bombarding the American positions on Guadalcanar on Tuesday night. This force is believed to contain battleships, cruisers and' destroyers and apparently was additional to the force which es- ) corted the transports which landed Japanese troops on the north coast of. the island. The full version of the United States Navy communique reads: “Dispatches from our forces in the South Pacific reveal the following chronological developments leading up to the current battle in the Guadalcanar area. On Monday morning Army Flying Fortresses bombed an airfield and shore establishments on Buka Island. Fires were started and 10 wrecked bombers and fighters were observed on the ground. Army bombers hit and set fire I to one cargo ship at Buin Island and 1 damaged another. Six enemy fighters I were shot down. “Navy and Marine Corps aircraft also attacked enemy ships southward of New Georgia Island. “On Tuesday afternoon the airfields on Guadalcanar were twice bombed by the enemy. Three enemy planes were shot down while one of our fighters was lost. By nightfall United States auxiliaries had landed reinforcements for our troops on Guadalcanar. Although the ships were attacked by enemy bombers no damage was suffered by our ships which unloaded and withdrew. AIRFIELD BOMBARDED “During Tuesday night the airfield, land and shore installations on Guadalcanar were heavily bombarded by an enemy surface force believed to contain battleships, cruisers and destroyers. The shore batteries scored three hits on enemy destroyers during the bombardment. i “During Wednesday afternoon the Guadalcanar airfield was attacked by two separate groups of enemy bombers, each with fighter escort. Our fighters were unable to intercept the first flight which contained about 25 aircraft. During the second attack we shot down nine of the 15 bombers and also destroyed four fighters. We lost one fighter. “Early on Thursday morning enemy transports escorted by destroyers and cruisers and one battleship were sighted off Savo Island. This force proceeded to land troops on the north coast of Guadalcanar, westward of our airfield. An aircraft striking group attacked the enemy ships, making three direct hits on one transport while two other transports were left burning. The Japanese battleship was damaged and one enemy fighter was destroyed. Other enemy forces, including heavy units, have been sighted in the vicinity of Guadalcanar.” Mr H. L. Stimson, United States Secretary of War, told a Press conference that American Army ground and air forces, which recently arrived at Guadalcanar to reinforce the Marines, have seized important positions in the Solomons to which they are holding > tenaciously against vigorous Japanese counter-attacks.

_Mr Stimson also said that substantial army forces were now in the New Hebrides, in the Fijian islands and at other points where their presence has not been disclosed previously. All these forces, he said, were under the command of the Air Force representative, Major-General Millard Harmon, who had his headquarters in New Zealand and spent most of his time at the advanced base in New Caledonia. The Army and Navy forces in this area were fighting in the closest possible cooperation under the unified command of the Navy. SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES The seriousness with which the Navy Department views the enemy’s latest manoeuvres in the Solomons is emphasized by the speed with which the announcement of the battle has been made, says the Washington correspondent of the American Associated Press. The Japanese activities contain a grim new significance not hitherto attached to their movements in the South-west Pacific. They have not previously succeeded in bombarding an airfield or main installations. Furthermore, the fact that troops have been landed from transports covered by naval units means undoubtedly that not only men but also artillery, in which the Japanese were previously deficient, have got ashore as well as supplies.

The Washington correspondent of The New York Times says: It is possible that the renewed action lends some

support to foreign reports that a large Japanese fleet has moved into the South-west Pacific. The facts in the latest communique indicate the possible necessity of having to recast the hitherto optimistic view of the Solomons action if the Japanese are willing—as they seem to be—to expend all the force necessary and to make any sacrifice in an attempt to recapture the Guadalcanal airfield.