GALLANT ASSAULT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 November 1942, Page 4

GALLANT ASSAULT

LED BY REAR-ADMIRAL CALLAGHAN

CRUISERS ATTACK MUCH HEAVIER FORCE.

" ENEMY THROWN INTO . confusion.

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) ~~ (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) X NEW YORK, November 17. y Rear-Admiral D. J. Callaghan, who was killed in action, paved the way for the Solomons victory by a daring night attack against three "lines of Japanese ships, declares the “New York Times” Washington correspondent. His vessels steamed between the lines, opening fire at point-blank range, destroying several Japanese ships and so confusing the enemy that, after the American ships withdrew, the Japanese continued firing at each other. A United Press Pearl Harbour correspondent reports that Admiral Callaghan was killed on the bridge of his flagship, off Savo Island, after he had thrown his cruiser task force against a superior group of Japanese battleships, cruisers, destroyers and other vessels screening a large body of transports attempting to land reinforcements on Guadalcanal. Admiral Callaghan closed ' audaciously, within 2,000 yards, a Japanese battleship scoring eighteen hits on it with his main battery. At « the same time, the secondary battery of Admiral Callaghan’s cruiser sank destroyers before the remnants of the shattered enemy force could retire. During the action, Admiral Callaghan s vessel received several fourteen-incn shell hits from the enemy battleship. These wrecked the bridge and other parts of the superstructure of the cruiser, killing Admiral Callaghan. -“The Nev/ Britain-Solomons engagemerit of the United States and Australian Pacific Fleet with powerful Japanese Navy units was the biggest and possibly the most significant sea battle cf the war. It looks like a decisive victory,” writes the New York newspaper “P.M’s.” military commentator. He adds: “A significant aspect of the Allied victory is the evidence that our surface strength in the Australian war theatre has been underestimated. The loss of four cruisers many weeks ago arid the detachment of strong naval units to North Africa probably led the Japanese, as well as many observers here, to underestimate our sea power in"*the Australian area. Possibly the most encouraging thing, apart from thfe terrific damage inflicted on the enemy, is the evidence that Army and Navy co-operation has reached a point of* perfection which will win us many more battles.