BIG NAVAL BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 111, 4 February 1943, Page 5

BIG NAVAL BATTLE

Solomons Prize (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, February 2. The United States Navy Department announces that American and Japanese fleets are engaged in a new and major battle for the control of the Solomons. The respective air forces are also reported tO be The a< bl°tie is still going on, and both sides have suffered losses; but a navy communique says that to reveal details of the engagement at this time would endanger the success of future operations in this area.

This is the action referred to a few days ago by Tokio, which reported an air attack on American warships off Rennell Island, south-west of Guadalcanal. A navy spokesman has stated that the Japanese claims of American losses were grossly exaggerated aud that their own losses bad been understated. A Washington correspondent says that the Japanese attack appears to have been designed to land heavy reinforcements and supplies on Guadalcanal Island and break American seapower in the entire South-west Pacific. Whether the enemy has succeeded in landing troops and .munitions is questionable. American sea forces in this area are believed to be considerable.

Barges Shelled. A United States Navy communique today reported ncar-misses by army bombers against a Japanese cargo ship near Tarawai Island, in the Gilberts, lasi Tuesday, as well as several heavy raids against Munda airfield on New Georgia. Flying Fortresses hit an enemy cargo ship three timeft off .Shortland Island, in the northern Solomons, and an American destroyer shelled Japanese barges off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal. ■When 20 Zeros intercepted a second Fortress attack on enemy ships in the Shortland-Buin area three Fortresses were lost.