U.S. MARINES IN ACTION

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23715, 13 August 1942, Page 5

U.S. MARINES IN ACTION

Solomon Islands Battle

LARGE NAVAL FORCE ENGAGED

(Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received August 13, 1.40 a.m.) (N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, August 12. Fifty Allied warships and 100 transports carrying troops and equipment are believed to be engaged in the battle for the Solomon Islands. Official reports are expected to reveal that the attacking fleet is the largest yet employed by either side in the Pacific war. Fairly heavy losses are expected.

“Men of the United States Marine Corps have opened the door to an Allied offensive in the South Pacific,” says a Manna Corps headquarters statement. The marines have been practising invasion tactics day and night as a prelude to the Solomon Islands landing, including intensive jungle warfare combined with landing exercises. Marines specially trained in amphibious operations are now engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese in the Solomon Islands. The latest Washington messages published in Australia indicate that the Allied land forces have gained some success in face of strong Japanese counter-attacks. United States marines, now supported by United States Army troops, have been engaged in desperate hand-to-hand fighting on the beaches and ip the jungle hinterland of the south-east Solomons. Enemy airfields on Tulagi aiu? Guadalcanar are believed to be the primary objectives. With these in our possession Allied land-based aircraft would make it costly for the Japanese to attempt to bring up reinforcements. Reports from Hawaii state that the Japanese are fighting fiercely to retain their positions, realising what a heavy blow the loss of these islands would be to their Pacific strategy.

According to a message from Washington the United States Navy says that the action in the Tulagi area continues, but nothing further can be reported at the moment. The Solomon Islands battle is known to have been discussed at to-day’s meeting of the Australian War Cabi-, net. The latest dispatches are said to be “encouraging, but give no cause for premature rejoicing.” Australia is prepared for losses among her naval units, but no Australian troops are taking part in the operations. “The general feeling is that the Allied forces are still making progress towards their objective," states the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s observer at an advanced base. “That objective appears to be occupation of the islands of Florida and Guadalcanar. against Which the whole weight of tne Allied offensive is being thrown.”

It appeared that United States marines and shock troops were firmly established in this area, stated the observer. The Allied naval forces were still supporting the- ground forces in face of determined attacks from Japanese aircraft operating frpm lapd bases. ■

The possession of Guadalcanar "and Florida Islands would give the Allies two vital bases from which to prevent attacks on the supply route to Australia and from which to cover any Japanese sea move from Rabaul, the observer added. Establishment of Bridgeheads

The San Francisco radio said on Tuesday that the American fbrces have landed tanks in the Tulagi area of the Solomons, where bridgeheads had been established. Flying Fortresses were helping to cover the American assault. The New York radio stated that United States marines were making great efforts to improve their position. There is no other news of the battle, but it is emphasised that pressure on Allied communications must delay the receipt of details. Senator D. I. Walsh, chairman of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee, said in Washington to-night that the United States Navy Department appeared satisfied with the progress of the battle in the Solomon Islands. He said that he had just telephoned to the Secretary of the Navy (Colonel Frank Knox), but declined to comment on the conversation. Air Raids from Australis The Allies are keeping up their nonstop air offensive for hundreds of miles round the Solomons, and it is pointed out that a Japanese convoy which was attacked and damaged by aircraft was probably heavily laden with vital supplies or reinforcements for the big battle. There is no suggestion, however, that any large-scale movement of enemy troops is involved. One of the cargo vessels damaged was about 4000 tons and a smaller vessel, which was probably sunk, was about, 1500 tons. Australian and American airmen taking part in the raid report having seen the Japanese abandoning the ships. Further bombing attacks on - enemy shipping off Timor are reported in today’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters. The sinking of a Japanese cargo ship in this area on Monday afternoon was confirmed by pilots taking part in Tuesday’s raids. The latest attack on the Timor area was carried out by Allied medium bombers, but the results are not known. Medium bombers also scored direct hits on a" wharf and buildings at Toeal in the Kei islands, about halfway between Timor and the southwestern coast of New Guinea. Two out of seven Zero fighters which attacked an Allied bombing force north of Samari, in New Guinea, were shot down for the loss of one Allied aeroplane. Other Zeros were damaged. The offensive against Rabaul was continued in a night raid on the aerodrome. Bombs fell near a runway. American war correspondents in Australia, commenting on the operations in the Solomon Islands, are more cautious in assessing the value of the offensive than the observers in the United States. The representative in Australia of the New York “Herald Tribune” has issued a warning that it is foolish to believe that the Japanese will await the outcome of the Solomon Islands battle before continuing their planned movements elsewhere. Unless the Allies get at the heart of their concentrations quickly they may move at any time. "Although the offensive continues over an arc of 1000 ipiles, it cannot be considered as approaching a second front conception,” says Mr Lewis Sebring, of the “New York HeraldTribune.” “A ‘limited offensive’ is a more accurate description.” The correspondent of the “New York Times” shares the same belief and states that while, the Japanese have suffered heavy air losses, they have replacements within reach and, they may furthermore become sufficiently alarmed by the Solomon Islands action to deflect to that area units of their major naval and aerial armadas. Mr Bryon Darnton, of the “New York Times,” draws attention to the restricted supplies -reaching Australia. “Some may have thought that the news of the offensive contradicted the news of the Australian equipment position. However, the Solomon Islands offen-

U.S. MARINE CORPS SHOCK TROOPS FOR INVASION The news that men of the United States Marine Corps are taking part ' in the attack on the Solomon Islands . means that the Allies are using troopg specially trained and organised for amphibious operations of this nature. “The Marine Corps, which has done more fighting than any other United State! force in the 143 years of its official existence, Is now virtually-a self-suf-ficient small army with its own artillery, infantry, aircraft, tanks, and parachute troops. The principal function of the Marine Corps is to provide the United States Navy with a specially trained expeditionary force which is accustomed to ship life and Navy regulations, and whose officers have served in close contact wtih officers of the Navy. This force, which is known as the Fleet Marine Force, is equipped with tanks, aircraft, and artillery. In addition, the Marine-Corps has kept task forces in readiness for an emergency call on the east and west coasts of the United States for a number of years. Before the United States entered the war two streamlined divisions—the first in Marine Corps history—had been organised for swift thrusts into troubled areas. They consisted of three regiments of heavily armed infantry, three battalions of 75-mm. pack howitzers. one of 155-mm. guns, and 72 tanks. They were equipped with special self-propelled landing craft. The marines’ fastest conveyances were six Navy destroyers refitted to crowd 200 men below decks for a run at 30 knots. This fleet was designed to transport a force patterned on the German combat units —1000 to 1200 men with rapid-fire infantry weapons, artillery, tanks* and engineer equipment.

RAIDER IN SOUTH , ATLANTIC TWO SHIPS ATTACKED (Received August 12, 7 p.m.) RIO DE JANEIRO, August 11. The Associated Press reports that the Brazilian Department of Press Propaganda has authorised the publication abroad, but not locally, of a report that an Axis surface raider operating in the south Atlantic attacked at least one freighter yesterday and another on Saturday. The results of the attacks are not disclosed. Ministry of Production.—Mr G. M. Garro-Jones has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the British Ministry of Production.—Rugby, August 11. _____

sive is being run by Vice-Admiral Ghormley and not by General MacArthur. The announcements setting forth the equipment position in' General MacArthur’s area were factual. Although most of the American correspondents in Australia take the view that the attack will result m greatly reducing the danger to Australia, the correspondent of the “New York Times’' remarks: “Except for enemy forces actually engaged in the Solomons battle, every other threat % which the Japanese present remain* the same as last week and , these threats are •substantial.” Strength of Japanese Position “japan’s soldiers have shown themselves masters of fighting in the tropics. No one can imagine that the expulsion of these stolid fighters from , the very many positions they nave seized can be either quick or easy/’ states the “Manchester Guardian in.... discussing the battle in the Solomon Islands, according to a British Offl- ; ' cial Wireless message. , “The battle is to the enemy’s advantage," the newspaper "States, “because he is fighting from the land while the Allies, "had. to begin from transports. The ■ Japanese' are reported to have built air bases bn Guadalcanar and > these wbuld be stocked with defensive bombers. Japan's aim would be to send reinforcements to these bases and the Allies were attempting to destroy them • before they could take off from New Guinea and New Britain. ' “How successful we. have been with our carrier-based aeroplanes against the land-based Japanese we do not yet know," the newspaper continues, “but in the remarkably long list of successes claimed by Japan no mention is made of any Allied aircraft-carrier ». being hit, although these ships in the ' background would have been the first targets,”