DANGER IN SOLOMONS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23748, 21 September 1942, Page 5

DANGER IN SOLOMONS

NEED FOR FRESH U.S. FORCES URGED

STRAIN ON MEN AND MATERIALS (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

(Rec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept, 20. The American hold on the Solomon Islands may be endangered if the Marines there are not reinforced by fresh troops. Observers have been disquieted by the fact that the Japanese have been able to continue landing reinforcements.

United States commentators are urging that the force under Vice-Admiral R. L. Ghormley’s command should be strengthened to the limit of American resources. •

The radio news analyst, Mr Raymond Gram Swing, says: "Despite the rosecoloured statements of Rear-Admiral Blandy concerning the preponderance of Alliecj naval power In the Pacific, if the Japanese were willing to pay the price they could retake the Solomons." But, he adds, to send the Japanese battle fleet into the area would be a bold and dangerous decision, bringing the enemy into conflict not only with American surfacewessels but with land based air power as well. Mr Swing has foreseen the danger that the Japanese will try to take Port Moresby to cancel out the advantages of the Allied occupation of the southeast Solomons and to strengthen their hand for the coming Pacific showdown.

The contention that enervating climate as well as the fresh Japanese troops were making too heavy demands on the American Marines, was put forward by Colonel Frederick Palmer,

North American Newspaper Alliance military correspondent. The question, he says, is: “How many Japanese can a Marine kill before he himself is killed or his energy is boiled out of him by the tropic heat.” If the Japanese are able to land more fresh troops, as the Marines become stale, Colonel Palmer warns, they may succeed in their vital objective of seizing the Kukum airfield on Guadalcanal He points out that aeroplan 3 and tanks cannot check the jungle infiltration. The “Washington Star” records “the deep regret” felt in high quarters that American commitments on other fronts prevented the rushing of sufficient reinforcements to Vice-Admiral Ghormley to enable him to capture the entire Solomons area immediately following his initial success. The tJnited States Navy Department has declined to indicate the extent of any assistance being sent to ViceAdmiral Ghormley. However, authoritative estimates have been made that the Japanese would have to dispatch at least 30 transports with a full naval escort to achieve any substantial success in their counter-drive. Such a force would present a vulnerable target to the aeroplanes and ships of ViceAdmiral Ghormley’s command if his force was sufficiently strong. On the other hand, American commentators believe that unless the tired Marines have rested and damaged sea and air units have been replaced, the United Nations may again fight at a heavy disadvantage. The Chungking dispatch says that Japan has sent four battleships to the Solomons together with other vessels. Persistent reports that the enemy is •massing an armada to retake the islands are regarded as being credible. It is felt that the next few weeks, perhaps ‘even a few days, will disclose whether Vice-Admiral Ghormley’s • initial successes can be backed by adequate strength. Observers generally are hopeful about the outcome but they stress that the situation is not one to admit any complacency. A new aircraft-carrier Lexington, replacing the one sunk last May in the Coral Sea, will be launched next Saturday. a year ahead of schedule. sSSSP

CANADIAN DESTROYER RAMS U-BOAT

(Rec. 8.30 p.m.) OTTAWA. Sept. 19. The Canadian Minister of the Navy (Mr A. L. Macdonald) has revealed that the destroyer Assiniboine sank a German submarine in a 24-hour fog-shrouded action which ended when the destroyer rammed the U-boat and survivors of the crew surrendered, Mr Macdonald emphasised that it was only one of the successful actions the Canadian Navy has waged against submarines.

Canadian Corvette Sunk.—The naval authorities at Ottawa have announced that the corvette Charlottetown has been torpedoed and sunk while fighting a submarine attack qn a convoy. The captain and three others are dead, five members of the crew are missing, and one officer and 12 of the crew are injured. Four officers and 35 of the crew were not hurt.—London, September 19.