NEW AIRFIELDS TO RAID JAP. SHIPPING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 199, 24 August 1942, Page 3

NEW AIRFIELDS TO RAID JAP. SHIPPING

SOLOMONS VALUE

Senator Predicts Attacks

Northwards

U.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 23. . A United Press report from Washington ■ states that Senator Millard Tydings, of the Naval Affairs Committee, said the Solomons victory was a very far-reaching Allied achievement toward Japan's defeat, because it provided suitable airfields between Australia and Japan, from which Allied planes could prey on Japanese shipping. He predicted that further attacks from the Solomons would conquer the Japaneseheld islands between the Solomons and Japan, thus providing steppingstones for carrying the Allied forces gradually northward to the Philippines and also north-westward to Asia, and finally to Japan. Senator Tydings also believed that the Solomons victory may postpone the Japanese attack against India, which was probably planned for a few weeks hence, when the monsoon season ends.

Major Fielding Eliot, the wellknown military commentator, emphasises in the Herald-Tribune that the American successes in the Solomons are no more than a good beginning. He says: "It now remains to utilise the occupied islands for further offensive operations. "The next United States move is likely to be directed against Bougainville Island, the most northerly of the Solomons Group, where the Japanese at present are in considerable strength. But even Bougainville Island is only the second step in an operation which must include within its objectives all Japanese positions on the north-east coast of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Admiralty Islands.

"Until these points are all retaken we cannot consider our situation decisively improved in the South-west Pacific. Not until then will we eliminate the Japanese from every base from which they can threaten Port Moresby and the cities and sea ports on the east coast of Australia." The Commander of the Allied Air Forces in the South-west Pacific, Lieutenant - General Brett, has arrived in America. . His arrival was a closely kept military secret until he landed at Miami, Florida, to address a graduating class of the Army Air Force Technical Training Command. General Brett declined to discuss his plans or to say when he was returning to Australia. Makin Island Base Razed Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Com-mander-in-Chief in the Pacific, has issued the following communique from Pearl Harbour:—A marine force of the United States Pacific Fleet made a successful landing on Makin Island on August 17 to destroy installations at this enemy seaplane base. This purpose was accomplished in its entirety and the force was withdrawn. Makin Island is at the nothern end of the Gilbert Islands.

At least 80 Japanese were killed. Radio stores and installations were destroyed and two seaplanes were destroyed on the water. Other losses were inflicted on the enemy by heavy bombing by their own aircraft from other bases which were attempting to assist them. Allied ships gunned and sank a small transport and one gunboat. Considering the nature of the operation the landing force suffered only moderate losses.

Commander John M. Haines, of the United States Navy, commanded the expedition. The Marines were led by Lieutenant-Colonel Evans F. Carlson. Major James Roosevelt, son of President Roosevelt, was second in command of the Marines. None of these officers is on the casualty list.

Good Work In Solomons

In a communique on operations in the Solomons Group, Admiral Nimitz says: Since the initial United States landing's in the Solomons a period of mopping up has been in progress in order to consolidate our positions. The Japanese defenders took to the hills and jungle to escape our forces and there have been daily skirmishes between Marine patrols and enemy detachments in which both sides have suffered casualties.

On August 19 Marines wiped out a Japanese detachment of 92 officers and men. who resisted to the last man. The Marines lost six killed and 13 wounded.

On the night of August 20 the enemy landed a force of about 700 well-equipped troops from highspeed boats outside the Marines' lines and attempted to break through. During darkness only hand-to-hand fighting was possible, but at dawn the Marines were able £° , * na , noeuv '* e - While one battalion held the front line, another battalion inoved to a flank and drove the withdrawing Japanese to the beach. Of /00 Japanese, 670 are dead and the rest prisoners. The Marines lost 28 killed and 72 wounded. The Marines in the Solomons, under MajorGeneral Alexander Vandegrift, have added another page to history with their outstanding achievement.

OFFICERS DECORATED U.S. AIR FORCE LEADERS Rce. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY. Aug. 23. The Silver .Star, one of the United States militarv decoration'fts been awarded to Bri.sadiortfeneral C. Eaker, commanding the I. nited States Bth Air Force of the Bomber Command, and Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, commanding the first ail-American squadron to bomb enemy occupied Europe. Both officers participated in the successful }x>mbing of Rouen, on August 17.