HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23803, 24 November 1942, Page 5

HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES

THREE MONTHS ON GUADALCANAR AMERICAN OFFICER’S ESTIMATE (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 5 pm.) NEW YORK. Nov. 22. United States marines and soldiers have killed at least 10,000 Japanese on Guadalcanar since the campaign began on August 7. This is given as a conservative estimate by Lieutenant Peterkin, of the United States Navy, who has just returned from the front. Lieutenant Peterkin said he believed the actual total would be astounding. It was not unusual for 1000 Japanese to be killed each night in one sector. He said that the first stage of the great naval battle began on the afternoon of November 12, when 21 Mitsubishi bombers, with Zero fighters, attacked Rear-Admiral D. J. Callaghan’s naval force which was supporting American transports. All the Japanese aeroplanes were wiped out. only one possibly escaping. An enemy transport force was reported on the morning* of November 14 to be “coming down the groove.” Aeroplanes from Guadalcanar met the enemy 75 miles to the north-west and smashed the transport force so badly, said Lieutenant Peterkin, that he thought the succeeding sea action was merely the aftermath. He explained that there was no celebrating on Guadalcanar, where the situation changed so rapidly that one never knew what would come next. Nevertheless, the troops felt that the worst was over now and they were optimistically discussing the next island objective. A United States Navy communique says: “Information has just been received that a United States destroyer which participated in the night action on November 14, during the battle oft Guadalcanar, was damaged by an enemy torpedo and sank the following night while on the way to a United States base. All the officers and crew 1 were rescued. The loss of the destroyer was not included in previous reports of United States vessels lost in the battle of Guadalcanar.” This brings the total number of American losses in the battle to two light cruisers and seven destroyers. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times,” appraising the effect of the Solomons battle, states: “A single week changed the military and naval estimate of the Pacific war from anxiety to confidence. It is conservatively estimated that the Japanese have lost 325 warships since the war began compared with' the loss of 90 American ships. These losses include: Battleships, one Japanese and one American; carriers, six Japanese, four American; cruisers, 29 Japanese, six American; destroyers, 43 Japanese, 29 American; submarines, 19 Japanese, five American; transports and merchantmen, 173 Japanese, 19 American. “In spite of these losses the Japanese still may have superiority in tonnage and men in the Pacific, but they have probably lost their taste for the initiative until circumstances again force them to take it. Japan at present must fight a defensive action and probably will lose Guadalcanar and New Guinea. Rabaul is becoming subject to daily bombardment, and the enemy’s main sea force probably must lie at Truk. Thus the way is cleared for early attempts to oust the Japanese from Bougainville and start the process of rolling them back from their outposts in the conquered possessions. “Japan will probably try at least another hard stab and she may send two heavy forces simultaneously against Port Moresby and Guadalcanar, thus attempting to open the door to Australia and cut off the armies in the Solomons and New This action is obvious and necessary, but because it is obvious Vice-Admiral Halsey is ready. There is no reason to believe that our naval leaders, who out-thought and out-fought the Japanese last week, will not be ready with another bag of trick's, when this attempt is actually made/’,