DECISIVE BATTLE LOOMING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 83, 5 October 1942, Page 5

DECISIVE BATTLE LOOMING

MAJOR JAP EFFORT

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) ':;:xZZx NEW YORK, October 3. "Aiflecisive battle which will de- ', termiiie a the immediate future of ! the war;in the Pacific is impend-, ing in th'^,Solomons," writes Till- '■■ man Durdin, the, "New York Times" correspondent on Guadalcanar Island in a dispatch dated September 21; "The Japanese attack against Port Moresby is believed to be a diversion designed to forestall an offensive by General Mac Arthur : while the major Japanese efforts are devoted to counter-offensive action in the Guadalcanar-Tulagi area. . "After the failure of the Japanese land attack last, week, aimed at rapturing Guadalcanal, the Allied forces Jin the South Pacific are watching closely for the next Japanese moVe. . It is not known whether the Japanese will continue their unsuccessful policy of building up a striking force on Guadalcanal by nightly landings from small boats and destroyers, or whether they will venture a swift major stroke with a big naval task force supporting, the transports. "The latter move would risk disaster from the American bombers and fighters based on Guadalcanar and other South Pacific bases. ; PUSHING BASES NEARER. "Meanwhile, the Japanese may be woi-king their Own air and naval bases nearer Guadalcanar to Gizo, 300 miles away, and Rekata Bay, 200 miles distant. American planes have bombed seaplanes, supply dumps, and small buildings at both places, which may become important Japanese bases and play significant roles in the forthcoming struggle for the Solomons. "The Grumman fighters operating from Henderson Field .here seem to be the most; effective answer American aviation has yet given to Japanese air power, particularly to the Zeros. ,The Grummans, flown by expert marine and navy pilots, have held their own with the Zeros and have destroyed a great many bombers. "The American pursuit planes so far. have shot down 119 enemy planes, losing less than one-fifth of this figure; WOUNDED FLOWN OUT. "The Marine Corps developed aerial transport of wounded to the base hospitals as a regular practice s during periods of heavy fighting when big Douglas transports equipped for stretcher-carrying, arrived at Henderson Field daily and removed the seriously wounded to hospitals within 12 hours after being hit. The lightlywounded were treated at the marine hospital on Guadalcanar.

'A German-type fighter-bomber, believed to be a Focke-Wulf or Messerschmitt, 110, was shot down from a Japanese raiding squadron by four Grummans recently. The presence of the plane over Guadalcanar caused speculation as to whether it carried German observers."