THIRTY THOUSAND LOST AT ONE LANDING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 37, 13 February 1943, Page 5

THIRTY THOUSAND LOST AT ONE LANDING

JAP. CASUALTIES

Costly Attempt To Send Help To Guadalcanar

N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright Rec. 11.30 a.m. NEW YORK, Feb. 12. Major-General Vandergrift, who was in command of the American marines in the Solomons, said the Japanese lost 30,000 men in a single landing attempt at Guadalcanal He added that the Japanese were very tenacious either to do or die and cost several months' campaigning. "We took only 560 prisoners," he said. General Vandergrift said not one man was lost in the initial American landing on Guadalcanar. The Japanese thought it was a raid, and, carrying out orders, fled to the mountains, until they saw our ships leave, "and when they came down we were sitting on Henderson Field," said the General. The Associated Press correspondent at a South Pacific base, Mr. Harmon, disclosed that 2000 Japanese, including virtually every high officer, were evacuated from Guadalcanar a week before the • complete capture by the Americans. He added: "We* do not know whether any senior officers were captured when General Patch's pincers closed on the Japanese on Tuesday.

[ The American Navy communique No. 278 states:— "During Thursday morning Marauder medium bombers escorted by Airacobras and Lightnings attacked positions at Munda, New Georgia. Bomb hits started a fire in the target; area. During the evening Marauders escorted by Airacobras bombed positions at Kolombangara. A large fire was started. One enemy plane was shot down. American Losses Slight "In the last fortnight of January two American army divisions on Guadalcanar killed 4000 Japanese and took more than 100 prisoners," said the Secretary for War, Mr. H. L. Stimson. "The American losses were 198 killed, 398 wounded" and five missing. "At the beginning of the struggle for Guadalcanar," Mr. Stimson continued, "Japanese naval action prevented steady supplies reaching the United States forces on the island. The relief of the marines was thus delayed until a series of brilliant naval actions had made it possible to land men and supplies. MajorGeneral Alexander Patch, commander of the United States Army on Guadalcanar, reports that the Japanese succeeded in withdrawing some of their troops in destroyers, but their remaining forces are scattered."

The Secretary of the Navy, Colonel W. F. Knox, told journalists that the United States intends to hold Guadalcanar as a highly useful forward base. "Of course the islands will be used in our progress toward the enemy's homeland," he stated, "but we have never contemplated progress toward Tokyo as an island-to-island affair."