ALMOST WIPED OUT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 November 1943, Page 3

ALMOST WIPED OUT

JAPANESE DESTROYER SQUADRON CAUGHT BETWEEN RABAUL AND BOUGAINVILLE. FOUR ENEMY SHIPS SUNK AND ONE DAMAGED. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, November 25. Four Japanese destroyers out of a force of six have been sunk in an action with Allied light naval craft between Rabaul and Bougainville. A fifth enemy warship was hit, leaving only one to escape undamaged. No Allied ship was hit. The battle opened in the very early hours of this morning and developed into a running fight, ending just before dawn. Another message states that it is thought the Japanese destroyers were attempting to evacuate troops from the northern end of Bougainville Island. General MacArthur’s communique announcing the action says: Solomon Sea —Our light naval forces intercepted a force of six enemy destroyers athwart the line from Rabaul to Bougainville, and defeated it. Four enemy destroyers were sunk and one damaged. The enemy advanced in two groups. The first, consisting of two destroyers, was sunk by torpedo action. The remaining four, attempting to escape, to the west, were engaged in a running gun action, and two were sunk and one received hits. We sustained no damage.”' The Allied naval force, probably comprising destroyers of at least equal strength to the enemy, made a bold move in pursuing the fleeing Japanese destroyers into waters where action by Japanese land-based bombers was likely. However, Allied fighters were summoned to provide aerial cover for our warships. No reports have yet been received of any attempted enemy air interference.

In spite of Japanese claims to the contrary, this is the first naval action in the Solomons area since November 2, when one cruiser and four destroyers were sunk while attempting to interfere with American landing operations at Empress Augusta Bay, on Bougainville.

Today’s communique from the SouthWest Pacific headquarters also reports the sinking of an 8000-ton Japanese freighter-transport at Halmahera, in the Molucca group, off the western tip of New Guinea. The vessel received five direct bomb hits, as well as a number of damaging near-misses.