INCREASING FURY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13774, 17 October 1942, Page 3

INCREASING FURY

SOLOMONS BATTLE

Strong Japanese Bid

New Guinea Operations

London, Oct. 16

In the big Solomons battle all services are engaged and the area of the battle is widening. Yesterday United States positions were shelled on the island of Espiritu Santo, in the New Hebrides group, by what was thought to be a Japanese submarine.

These islands lie about midway between the Solomons and New Caledonia.

United States planes have inflicted a further loss on the Japanese Navy. Last night they attacked a light cruiser near Bougainville and bombed the vessel to a standstill.

When a Japanese battleship and three transports were damaged yesterday it was subsequently found that the transports had all been beached and they are still burning fiercely on the beaches of Guadalcanal' Island.

United States Marines and also U.S. Army men who have reinforced them are heavily engaged with the remaining Japanese forces on Guadalcanal'.

The Japanese efforts to recapture this island show that i: is to them of the highest importance. The outcome of the present battle is likely to have an immense influence on the position in the Pacific. The Japanese are putting in their full weigh. 4 .. They have lost another 23 planes destroyed for certain and 10 more probably destroyed. Two U.S. fighters have been lost. Enemy surface vessels are still in the vicinity of Savo Island and American planes are keeping up their attack on these ships. In New Guinea an important battle is developing in the Owen Stanley area. At Templeton's Crossing a battle of some intensity goes on with undiminished pressure. Allied air attacks have been made on the Japanese at Salamaua, Lae and Templeton's Crossing.