THREE-DAY FIGHT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 33, 18 November 1942, Page 3

THREE-DAY FIGHT

BATTLE IN THE SOLOMONS. SEA AND AIR ACTIONS. FLEETS AT CLOSE RANGE. (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright). WASHINGTON, Nov. 16. The United States Navy has sunk a Japanese battleship, three heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, five destroyers, and eight transports in the greatest naval battle of the war, fought in the Solomons for three days and nights. Another Japanese battleship and six desi’oyers were dafnaged.. Four enemy cargo transports, found beached on Guadaleanar Island, were destroyed.

The only United States warships reported sunk ai'e two light cruisers and six destroyers.. The battle lasted from Friday to Sunday. It consisted of a series of sea and air actions in which the United States forces beat off a strong enemy invasion fleet moving against the American positions in the Guadal-canar-Tulagi area.

Following the first announcement of the victory, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet (Admiral Chester W. Nimitz), issued a communique at Pearl Harbour. It said: “The strong Japanese fleet lias been completely'frustrated by tbe action of Vice-Admiral Halsey’s fleet. The enemy’s transport units in the Solomons area have been annihilated. On land United States Army and Marine Corps units have the situation well in hand. All the Japanese naval forces in the area have been destroyed or driven back.

Battle at Close Range

“This Japanese bombardment force was formed into three groups. As they approached the bombardment area they were engaged by units of our fleet, and the ensuing battle was fought at close range. During this engagement Rear-Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan was killed. “During this fierce night engagement, the Japanese seemed confused, and during the latter part of the battle two of three Japanese groups were firing at each other. Shortly afterwards the enemy fire ceased and the Japanese withdrew from the battle and retired to the north. “During Friday, United States aircraft made continuous attacks on damaged Japanese ships which remained” in the area.

“During the afternoon a large forma 5 tion of at least 122- enemy transports under heavy naval escort headed toward Guadalcanal’ from the Bougainville area. As a preliminary to a proposed landing the enemy surface force bombarded our- positions at Guadaleanar very early on Saturday morning. “Later on Saturday morning when the transport group was near Guadalcanal’, it was 1 struck heavily by our air forces, and at least eight trans- ■ ports were sunk. The remainder continued towards Guadaleanar. ■ “During Saturday night, United States naval forces engaged Japanese surface units in the Guadalcanal’ area. Details of this engagement have not. yet been received. “On Sunday morning, four enemy cargo transports #ere found beached at Tassafaronga, about seven and a. half miles.west of our positions at Guadaleanar. These transports were attacked by air and by artillery and naval gunfire, and were destroyed.

“The same morning our patrol aircraft reported Japanese forces withdrawing to the north. “No reports of any further action have been received.

“Major Japanese Effort.”

“During the engagements described above the Japanese suffered the following losses and damage: One battleship, three heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, five destroyers, and eight transports' sunk; one battleship and six destroyers damaged; and four cargo..transports destroyed. “Two light cruisers and six destroyers are the only United States naval vessels reported sunk . in the actions fought on November 13, 14, and 15.” It is believed in Washington that clever manoeuvring gave the United States fleet an advantage in the naval battle for the Solomons.

The military corespondent of the “New York Times,” Mr Hansom Baldwin, h.ad issued a warning before the news of the battle, that Japan had assembled “probably the largest fleet of warships and transports yet seen in the South Seas,” in a major effort to expel American forces from the Solomons. • Discussing Japanese advantages in the campaign, Mr Baldwin said that they probably had naval superiority iand their bases were mucn closer to Guadalcanal’ than the American bases. The Japanese, too, had apparently built a new airfield on ; an island relatively close to Guadalcanal Other sources had suggested that America’s newest battleships of the South Dakota class, with ICin guns, formed part of the American fleet in the Solomons.

The special Australian correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association says, that Australian commentators have all pointed to Japan’s evident determination to continue the Solomons campaign to the bitter end. According to Allied communiques, the four earlier attempts against the American positions cost the enemy three cruisers sunk and 25 damaged, nine destroyers sunk, two more probably simlc .and 11 damaged; and four battleships and four aircraft-carriers damaged.

Mr Elmer Davis, (Director of the United States Office of War Informa-

tion) said in Washington that the Japanese High Command’s new claims of having sunk eight United States warships, including three aircraft-carriers, in an earlier battle on October 26, were false. “We lost one carrier and one destroyer, as already reported,” Mr Davis said. “I have every reason to believe that the Navy is telling the truth.”