JAPANESE FAILURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 August 1942, Page 3

JAPANESE FAILURE

IN ATTEMPTED SURPRISE MAIN FORCE INTERCEPTED. AMERICANS IN SOLOMONS , IN GOOD SPIRITS. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 27. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times'’ suggests that the fact that the enemy force approached its objectives from the northeast supports the belief that the enemy came from.a rendezvous somewhere in the Caroline group, probably Truk. From there the Japanese are believed to. have swung wide to the east and then turned south-west attempting to escape detection by American. reconnaissance planes. The enemy’s hope of making a surprise raid, however, was not realised ,and it is believed the enemy’s main force was intercepted before reaching the immediate vicinity of the Solomons. American observers note that President Roosevelt was in an extremely good mood during his Press conference today, which they believe was aue to the “pleasant reading” of the more detailed reports of the battle reaching him. The American forces of occupation in the Solomons are in good spirits, and they deride the Japanese claims of victory, according to Mr Sherman Montrose, an American correspondent who accompanied the successful marine units and spent two days ashore. “We are all laughing about the _ Japanese claim to have sunk 25 ships,” he states. “Even though the news is scarce hereabouts, we got that over the radio.” The rain and heat have produced oppressive weather conditions in the wild jungle-covered islands, said Mr Montrose. Japan’s all-out bid to retake the Solomons is interpreted as conclusive proof that she attaches the greatest importance to Tulagi and the surrounding area. One military expert writes, “The American possession of these bases represents a springboard from which the Allies can invade and recapture positions in New Britain and New Guinea as the preliminary to an allout drive north to Japan itself. If the Japanese retake the Solomons they will be provided again with a springboard from which to attempt further advances southward, to the New Hebrides and New Caledonia in order to isolate Australia and New Zealand.” HOPEFUL VIEW TAKEN BY FIGHTING FRENCH ADMIRAL AND BY AMERICAN AIR CHIEF. PROVISION OF BETTER FIGHTING PLANES. 'By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) v ; SYDNEY, August 27. , “If the Allies can maintain their offensive in the Solomon Islands and push forward, the security of the south Pacific will be ensured,” said the leader of the Fighting French in the Pacific, Rear-Ad-miral d’Argenlieu, who has arrived in Sydney from New Caledonia on an official visit. He said he had discussed the war situation with Vice-Admiral Ghormley, and he believed that protection of the Solomons, which had such an important strategic position, meant also protection for the rest of the South Pacific, particularly New Caledonia. Rear-Admiral d’Argenlieu said he considered that the position in the Pacific war had improved to such an extent as to permit him to make his goodwill visit to Australia and New Zealand. The Allied air chief in the southwest Pacific, Brigadier-General Royce, in an interview today with the San Francisco “Chronicle,” said: “Our boys in Australia feci they are getting good equipment, and they are not at all downhearted. At present the Japanese Zero fighter is superior in some ways to our fighter planes, but we

know that this is being corrected, and we expect to have better planes than the Japanese very soon.” He also said that the navy action in the Solomon Islands was supported by the United States Army Air Force, and he declared that the Coral Sea Battle had proved that the Allied forces in the south-west Pacific were too strong for a Japanese invasion of Australia.