RAGING IN SOLOMON ISLANDS AREA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1942, Page 3

RAGING IN SOLOMON ISLANDS AREA

Strong Japanese Corater-attack Met by American Forces DAMAGE ALREADY DONE TO SIX OR MORE ENEMY WARSHIPS INCLUDING BATTLESHIP, AIRCRAFT-CARRIERS AND CRUISERS LONDON, August 25. A big sea and air battle has been raging s,ince Sunday in the area of the Solomon Islands. It is still going on. American warships and panes are hammering at a, strong Japanese naval force which approached the south-east group of the islands from a north-easterly direction. Flying Fortresses as well as planes based on aircraft-carriers are'taking part. The Japanese ships have already suffered considerable damage. A Navy Department communique issued in Washington states that it was only to be expected, following the American occupation of the enemy base at Tulagi, that the enemy would launch a vigorous counter-attack. This counter-attack has developed and is now being met. DAMAGE has ALREADY BEEN DONE TO AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN JAPANESE WARSHIPS, INCLUDING ONE BATTLESHIP, TWO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND SEVERAL CRUISERS. AMERICAN AIRCRAFT SCORED FOUR HITS ON A LARGE JAPANESE AIRCRAFT-CARRIER AND OTHER PLANES SEVERELY DAMAGED A SMALLER JAPANESE CARRIER OF 7,000 TONS AND CARRYING 24 AIRCRAFT. The first Japanese attack was made on Sunday afternoon, when a strong enemy air force bombed Guadalcanar Island. At least 21 Japanese planes were shot down. The American losses wore slight. On the same evening Japanese destroyers shelled the American positions on the island. YESTERDAY, UNITED STATES AIRCRAFT ATTACKED AN ENEMY TRANSPORT AND CRUISER NORTH OF THE ISLAND AND LEFT BOTH BURNING FIERCELY. This was the first Japanese attempt to recapture the island since the Americans landed there three weeks ago. As the Japanese losses indicate, the enemy did not take the defenders by surprise.