JAPANESE LIMP AWAY

Southland Times, Issue 24891, 3 November 1942, Page 5

JAPANESE LIMP AWAY

Armada Pounded By Americans

(Rec. 12.50 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 2.

In a message from the headquarters of the United States forces in the South Pacific, the correspondent of the Associated Press of America says that a huge Japanese armada limped away from the Solomons licking its wounds last week. Naval forces, dive-bombers and torpedo-planes pounded the enemy ships, estimated to number between 40 and 50, which were sent from two directions to attempt a knock-out blow against Guadalcanar. The Japanese fleet, composed of two heavy task forces 150 to 200 miles apart, approached Guadalcanar from the

north-east. Douglas dive-bombers from Guadalcanar hit cruisers and destroyers off Florida Island. One cruiser was damaged and stopped by a direct bomb hit, which Flying Fortresses hit and set on fire a light cruiser or heavy destroyer.

Further away American carrierbased torpedo-planes and divebombers sailed into Japanese carriers. An American pilot said later ' that the flight deck of a big new Japanese carrier was completely smashed and the vessel appeared to be sinking. It is officially announced that two Japanese aircraft-carriers, two battleships and three cruisers were damaged, 100 planes destroyed and 50 probably destroyed in a major aerial and naval battle on Octobei' 26 eastwards of Stewart Island (Solomons).