JAPANESE SHIPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 October 1942, Page 3

JAPANESE SHIPS

FIVE DAMAGED IN SOLOMONS INCLUDING HEAVY CRUISER SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN AIR RAID. EXPECTATION OF ENEMY MASS ASSAULT. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 9. The United States Navy Department announced that carrier-based planes in the northern Solomons damaged five Japanese vessels, including a heavy cruiser, says a message from Washington.

With the growing belief that the Japanese may have withdrawn at least part of their New Guinea strength to throw into the battle for the Solomon Islands, Australian interest has turned again to this latter phase of the war in the South Pacific. It is considered here that a Japanese success in their objectives in the Solomons would be a prelude to renewed and stronger enemy efforts to take Port Moresby.

Unofficial opinion is that the American positions in the Solomons are more seriously menaced than at any other time since the marines landed on August 7. This estimate is based largely on the fact that the Japanese can still make landings on Guadalcanal’ Island in spite of the Americans’ control of the air. When the Japanese have finally concentrated all their parties into one force, a mass assault can be expected.

OFFICIAL REPORT NO UNITED STATES LOSSES. LAND & CARRIER PLANES CO-OPERATE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 9. The United States Navy communique referring to the attacks on Japanese ships in the northern Solomons, states: “During recent weeks our long-range reconnaissance aircraft have observed a large number of enemy ships concentrating in the Shortland Islands area, south of Bougainville. “On Monday navy carrier-based aircraft of a task force under the operational control of Vice-Admiral Ghormley, attacked enemy ships, while long-range bombers of General MacArthur’s command co-ordinated with a simultaneous raid. In spite of unfavourable weather our carrier-based aircraft damaged a heavy cruiser and one transport by heavy bombs and a seaplanetender and two cargo ships by light bombs, and strafed one light cruiser and one destroyer in a harbour in the Shortland Islands. Four four-enginer were destroyed on the water at Fraisi, and six more were damaged. Two seaplanes and two bombers were destroyed in the Shortlarid Islands area, and the Kieta airfield was damagd by bombs. “The task force suffered no losses, eithes in aircraft or ships.”