STILL GOING ON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1942, Page 4

STILL GOING ON

SOLOMON ISLANDS NAVAL BATTLE COMPLEX OPERATIONS. DESCRIBED BY AMERICAN SPOKESMAN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day. 12.10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 15. The Navy Department announced that the Solomons battle is still continuing. A Navy spokesman described the fighting as a hit and run, hide and seek, catch and go engagement. “The phrase ‘numerous enemy forces’ is used advisedly,” the spokesman said. “Wherever we run into them, there is a scrap. The fighting is not a stand-up engagement between major forces, like the Midday Island Battle. FIERCE CONFLICT WILL DECISIVELY INFLUENCE WAR SITUATION. ACCORDING TO JAPANESE. (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) NEW YORK, November 15. The Berlin radio quoted the “Asahi Shimbun” as saying: “The Solomons fighting is the fiercest since the outbreak of the Pacific war and will decisively influence the whole war situation. ‘ The Americans are using .ships, troops and aeroplanes on a large scale.” JAPANESE AIMS ATTEMPTS TO REINFORCE LAND UNITS. AND TO RECAPTURE POSITIONS. (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 15. A communique states that numerous enemy surface forces are active in the south-eastern Solomons, in an attempt to reinforce the enemy troops on Guadalcanal and disrupt the delivery of supplies to our forces, which now occupy shore positions in this area. The current land, sea and air actions in the Solomon Islands area are the result of a determined effort on the Dart of the Japanese to recapture positions in the Guadalcanal- fulagi aiea. The engagements are continuing.

WORN DOWN BY FLYING FORTRESS ATTACKS. JAPANESE INVASION STRENGTH. (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) SYDNEY. This Day. In their fifth attempt to regain control of the Solomons since the Americans occupied Guadalcanal on August 7 the Japanese have marshalled considerable warship and transport strength. South-West Pacific Command pilots have reported a substantial concentration of naval vessels, troop-carriers, seaplane tenders and supply ships at the Buin-Faisi naval base. Nine heavy raids have been made against this shipping by General MacArthur's Flying Fortresses during the past fortnight. These attacks, each involving a round trip of more than 2 000 miles from Australian bases, must have seriously depleted the Japanese invasion strength. Flying Fortresses have scored direct hits on three heavy cruisers (two may have been battleships), three light cruisers (one seriously damaged) and one unidentified vessel. Our bombers also scored a near miss against a vessel believed to be an aircraft-carrier. Japanese soldiers were stated tG “crowded like sardines” on a 12,000-ton transport which was hit on Saturday, when Flying Fortresses attacked enemy warships and merchantmen dispersed over a wide area near New Georgia. Our bombers completed the attack by strafing the decks of the damaged vessel, which was set on lire.