Every attempt to recapture by enemy has been repulsed.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1942, Page 3

Every attempt to recapture by enemy has been repulsed.

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

Rec. 11.30 p.m. Washington, Aug. do. JHE Navy Department announces that the Marines holding six of the Solomons islands annihilated or captured all the Japanese troops who landed in attempts to recapture the islands. "The position of our forces in the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area has been suffieiently well established to warrant the release of details of the action in the Solomons, which has been in progress since ear:./ morning on August 7," states a Navy communique. "Our appj oach to the area of operations was accomplished under cover of an overcast sky, making aerial reconnaissance difficult. On the n'ght of August 6 Jhe weather cleared and our transports and scre ning forces proceeded unopposed. The actual landing operatioi commenced early on August 7 under strong protection froi ': carrier-based aircraft and supporting fire from surface vesh'ds. Complete surprise was effected and beach heads were soo" established, varying degrees of resistance being encounterei By nightfall our troops were in possession of a strong be; ch head in the Tenaru River region of Guadalcanal and had t tptured most of Tulagi, all of Gavutu and occupied a position at Halabo, on Florida.

"During he night and early the following mo; ling the island of Tanambodo, whicL is connected with Gavutu by a .causeway, was taken in the face of strong opposition. Before, during and after these attacks long-range army bombers engaged in co-ordinated search operations. These bombers delivered heavy atta ks on enemy ships and air bases in N ,v Britain, New Guinea and the Solom ,'s area. Our operations on August 7 r' vulted in heavy loss to the enemy both ■ ■ n men and aircraft and the loss of conUol of all vital positions in the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area and the loss of large quantities of supplies when the positions wero surrendered. We suffered one destroyer damaged but oui losses of 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 ships and sent ashore to assist our patrols in consolidating their gains. Forty or more enemy torpedo planes attacked ships in the harbour on August 8, 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 ack-acks shot down 47 Japanese planes. By sundown on August 8 the area occupied on Guadalcanal had been expanded and an airfield which the Japanese had nearly completed was captured. Enemy resistance at Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambodo had been overcome and equipment captured which the Japanese were using to develop Mador as a 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 Teaching the vessels engaged in landing operations. Close-range fighting in this action resulted in damage to the enemy's and our own forces. By the following night unloading operations were completed and our transports and cargo ships left the area.. "The marines had overcome all major opposition on Guadalcanal. Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambodo, Makambo and portion of Florida by noon on August 8. Mopping up operations continued to date. "Several small contingents of enemy troops have been landed on islands we hold. The largest landing was made by 700 troops on Guadalcanal on August 21. Our positions were bombarded by surface craft, submarines and aircraft but losses as a result of these attacks have been small. Every enemy attempt to recapture the lost positions 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 Guadalcanal. An action at sea ended with the withdrawal of the enemy surface forces. While this action was in progress the enemy made three strong air attacks on Guadalcanal but were repulsed by our aircraft operating from a captured airfield."