NAVAL VICTORY IN SOLOMONS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23799, 19 November 1942, Page 5

NAVAL VICTORY IN SOLOMONS

“MAJOR ACTION, BUT indecisive ” STATEMENT BY COLONEL KNOX (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) LONDON, Nov. If. The defeat of the Japanese armada in the Solomons was described by the United States Secretary of the Navy (Colonel Frank Knox) as a major action, but an indecisive one. However, the Japanese losses would make a return attack more difficult. • “The United States has clearly won round two in the Solomons. We now have naval superiority round Guadalcanar,” said Colonel Knox at a press conference. He added a warning that there might be a third round was a major action, but the Japanese forces may regroup and return, he Knox said that although the Japanese had suffered losses m ships and personnel, he declined to say that the enemy fleet hadbeen : He paid a tribute to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, Vice-Admiral Halsey, and Rear-Admiral Callaghan. Not onl .y they meet a drive from a numerically superior . enemy force, but the y f a “° employed the most daring type of action,” he said. ; .. • Asked how many rounds thereiriiht be. Colonel Knox replied: The only safe assumption is that the Japanese will return. () That is what we aie pl He n ad g de f d r that the Solomons were of first-class importance to the United States, since they flanked the h* los communication and supply to Australia. From the Solomons the Japanese could make direct attacks on those lines. This Solomons battle was the greatest surface action of the war ami apparently the greatest since Jutland, but it was not greater than Jutland. “Critical Threat Removed” “The Solomons action should not be considered a decisive, conclusive victory. assuring our domination of the Pacific,” said a spokesman for the Navy. “However, it has apparently removed the critical , thr £ at Guinea over our land forces m New Guinea and the Solomons. A running battle occurred when victories by our ground and air forces in the battle are ? s .rJ the south-western Pacific forced the Japanese to attempt a counter-attack in force to relieve their soldiers. The American command, therefore, was able to lay plans to meet the enemy some distance from bis bases, instead of undertaking an expedition into me heart of Japanese waters. Admiral Nimitz said: ‘ The Ja P a £ aS ? have been concentrated in the Rabaul , area Jor a double thrust against Guadalcanar and New Guinea, but ! think they will be disappointed m both cases. The enemy fleet came in several directions from the north, and north-west. They brought everything they had and undoubtedly they were bringing heavy equipment, tanks, shore artillery, and everything they needed. However, the Japanese did not bring aircraft-ca riers. Either they did not have any left, or they did not choose to risk Nimitz’s aide said later that the United States made .great use of aircraft-carriers and carrier-based aircraft. Navy’s Confidence Increased The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says; ‘The Soumons victory has created new confidence among Navy men, whose outr , ward confidence had been qualified by doubts of the manner in which they would meet the formidable Japanese odds. Those doubts no longer exist Military authorities point out that the victory clears the atmosphere for General Mac Arthur to proceed to the destruction of .the Japanese at Buna, thereby cleaning out the worst remain ine enemy nest m Ne w _ Guinea. "The NevTßritam and Solomons engagement .between the United States and ’ Australian Pacific fleets and powerful Japanese Navy units is the biggest and possibly the mostsigniflcant sea. battle of. the war. It looks like a decisive victory, writes the military commentator of the New York newspaper, “P.M. He says that a sig nificant aspect of the Albedvictoryis the evidence that Allied surface strength in the Australian war theatre had been underestimated. The loss of four cruisers many weeks ago and tne sending of a detachment of strong naval units to North Africa probably led the Japanese, as well Bs many observers here, to underestimate our sea power in the Australian area, be says. the most encouraging.thing, apart from the terrific damage inflicted on the enemy, is the evidence that Army and Navy co-operation has reached a point of perfection ( which will win us many more battles. Rabaul a> Objective “To consolidate and, extend OUP VIC" tory we must press from defensive to offensive action as quickly *h Q United Nat ous can give us instru-, ments to do so,’ says the Sydney “Daily Telegraph" in a n A to-day, emphasising that the threat .o Australia and New Zealand will not bo removed uolil Rsbaul is once tno*.e in Allied haucs. , The “Sydney Morning Herald say* that a combined attack against Rabaul by Vice-Admitsl Halsey's and General Mac Arthur’s forces “would clearly -e a culminating stroke from the victories won on both lines of approach to it. The special Australian correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association says it is poin'ed out in Sydney that Japan will now be in no position to relieve the pressure on Hitler by, for instance, an attack against Russia. , Some commentators suggest that Japan’s own mounting problems may soon be intensified by an Allied drive on Burma. ) Whether Japan will return to the attack agains* Guadalcanar or will attempt a new diversionary blow at some other is a subject for speculation. The fa r t that groups of enemy warships fired on each other during the Solomons battle is felt to be suggestive of a laf k of co-ordination and confidence within the Japanese navy which augurs well for the progress of the war in the south Pacific. , London Press Comment “The superb victory of Guadalcanar will not decide the domination of the south Pacific, but is likely to prove a tremendous factor,” writes the naval correspondent of the London “Daily Express.” “The three months’ campaign of naval attrition in the Solomons has now reached a stage when the Japanese, In spite of large secret reserves, cannot hope to go on.” “The Americans are inflicting crippling blows against the Japanese fleet, while Australians and Americans are advancing towards Buna,” says the "Evening Standard” in a leading article. “These happenings are of immediate vital importance in relation to the whole conduct of the war. "The news raises the hope of a land, sea, and air pincer movement, making Rabaul untenable for the enemy, and wresting control of the south-west Pacific from the Axis, Already the vigorous Allied offensive and defensive has had reactions on the mighty struggle nearer home. Japan has been unable to stage a diversion which, by straining British sea power, might have helped Hitler in his hour of need. "Great positive gains are within our grasp. Allied control of the south-west Pacific would mean the end of the Japanese threat against Australia and New Zealand, and would lay open to attack the long communications between Tokyo and the conquered territories. j It would enable American resources to j be applied to the task of converting 1 the Aleutian Islands into a dagger ] pointed right at the heart of Japan.” j - ' ' -