OPPOSED FLEETS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 October 1942, Page 3

OPPOSED FLEETS

SIGNS OF COMING BATTLE IN SOLOMONS AREA

ANTICIPATIONS OF AMERICAN OBSERVERS.

AIR ATTACKS ON ENEMY

CONTINUED

(Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, October 21. .No further enemy landings on Guadalcanal' are reported, stated a United States Navy Department communique received today. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps aircraft bombed enemy 'troop and supply concentrations on Guadalcanal' throughout Monday and yesterday.

Large numbers of enemy warships and auxiliaries are stated to have been sighted in the Solomon Islands area, the communique added. “Informed circles believe that the American and Japanese naval forces are now jockeying for position for a decisive battle in the Solomon Islands,” says the Washington correspondent of the “New York Times.” “A compilation of reports received in Washington indicates that the Japanese forces are probably concentrated north and west of Guadalcanal’, and principally round New Georgia. “The enemy could steam overnight to the battle area off Guadalcanalfrom the region between New Georgia and Rabaul, the principal Japanese base. The ships in this locality are too far away for steady attacks by aircraft' based on Guadalcanal’, and likewise, are quite distant from the American heavy-bomber bases in Australia, New Caledonia, and the New Hebrides. SUPPOSED ENEMY PLANS. “Qualified observers express the opinion that either of two factors may have checked the Japanese on Guadalcanal’ after their landing near the American positions and the temporary successes in bombing and shelling the airfield. Firstly, the enemy may have encountered more air, land and sea resistance than he anticipated. Secondly, the Japanese may not be planning to conduct an immediate land campaign, but instead may be seeking a naval victory as a prelude to recapture of the airfield by a land attack. “The number of enemy vessels which have already been sighted indicates the possibility that he has anticipated a sea engagement. The reference in today's communique to auxiliaries is significant, since a task force sent out to make a fast attack on the island position would, not hamper itself with auxiliaries other than, a few tankers. Auxiliaries normally mark relatively ponderous fleet movement's. “If the Japanese arc seeking a naval engageemnt it is obvious that ViceAdmiral Ghormley and Admiral Nimitz will attempt to outmanoeuvre them and to decide the conditions and time at which such an engagement will be held. Hence, observers are watching with keen interest the operations on Guadalcanal- itself, but none omits consideration of the possibility that what began as an island raid may eventuate into a naval engagement of record proportions.”

AMERICAN HEAVY SHIPS. According to some Washington reports, heavy American warships have moved toward the battle zone, steaming unopposed through waters previously dominated by the Japanese fleet. A Pearl Harbour report estimates that at least 15,000 Japanese troops landed on Guadalcanal’ last month. No new Japanese landings on the island have been reported since last ThursThe massing of Japanese sea, land, and air power indicates that Japan intends to concentrate in the Solomons one of the greatest striking forces she has ever sent to any territory and build up the most powerful umbrella of planes she has ever assembled, despite her continuing and heavy losses. The reports from the New York newspaper “P.M.” that the Japanese on Guadalcanal' outnumber the American forces 10 to one are accepted with considerable reserve. The numbers of the enemy land troops are regarded here as of secondary, importance in a battle in which the major issue must be defided at sea.

Further damage to the Japanese fleet in northern Solomons waters and to the enemy airfield at Buin, on Bougainville, is believed to have been caused in a raid by medium bombers of General MacArthur’s command early this morning. The raid was on a smaller scale than the earlier attacks by Flying Fortresses. Reconnaissance has shown that enemy ships were lying beached and still smoking from the big attacks on Sunday morning.