NAVAL BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1942, Page 3

NAVAL BATTLE

CONTINUED IN SOLOMONS • ■"■'■4. LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. AMERICAN OFFICIAL REPORT. WASHINGTON, November 14. A Navy Department communique states that a series of naval engagements, which commenced on the night of November 12 in the Solomons is still in progress. Both sides have suffered losses. No details will be reported while the battle continues. To announce details of these actions while the battle was in progress would furnish the enemy with information of definite value.

SMASHING BLOWS

STRUCK BY ALLIED PLANES. DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY SHIPS & AIRCRAFT. SYDNEY. November 15. Allied bombers of General MacArthur’s command have made further smashing attacks against Japanese warships and transports in the Solomon Islands. ..In attacks on Friday and yesterday two enemy fight cruisers and a 12,000-ton transport were hit, and near misses were scored against a destroyer and an 8000-ton transport. This transport was later observed to be burning. The targer transport, which was stated to be heavily loaded, was part of a Japanese convoy which was raided yesterday near New Georgia, in the central Solomons. The other enemy vessels were attacked by Flying Fortresses in the Buin-Faisi roadstead in in northern Solomons at dawn on Friday, and this raid, though it did not involve a large number of aircraft, was remarkably effective. In the first light of morning the attacks were pressed home from altitudes as low as 1000 feet. Heavy anti-air-craft fire from the ships and shore batteries was encountered,' but all our aircraft returned. Kahili aerodrome, at Buin, was also raided. Six enemy transports, aggregating 57,000 tons, as well as two cruisers and a destroyer have been damaged in the Solomons raids in three consecutive days by Allied bombers of the South-west Pacific command. United States naval forces on Thursday bombarded enemy positions to the west of the American positions on Guadadcanal, states a Press Association message. Shore batteries were silenced and large fires started. Reporting this, a navy communique adds that 75 Japanese landing boats, some of which had been previously damaged, were found at Tassaforonga. American warships bombarding shore positions on the island were suddenly attacked by 31 Japanese planes. American fighters and ships’ guns brought down 30—all but one of the 23 tor-pedo-bombers and eight Zero fighters which came over. American losses were slight. One Japanese plane crashed on to the cruiser San Francisco, damaging her slightly and killing 30 men. The destroyer Buchanan was hit by a sin. shell from the shore.