MUCH ACTIVITY IN AIR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 99, 23 October 1942, Page 5

MUCH ACTIVITY IN AIR

RAIDS BY AMERICANS

WASHINGTON, October 21

A Navy Department communique states: "In the case of the United States destroyers' Meredith and O'Brien, which were lost within the last few days as a result of enemy action in the Solomons area,. the report on the casualties has not been received, but it is believed that all the personnel of the O'Brien and many of the personnel of the Meredith were rescued.

. "Large numbers of enemy .ships continue to be sighted in the Solomon Islands, and small units have been located and attacked in the southern Solomons.

"On Guadalcanal our aircraft are continuing to bomb the enemy positions. <„.-..■ "Early in the afternoon of October 19 enemy aircraft attacked positions on Guadalcanal. Grumman Wildcats shot down two Zeros, and one Wildcat was lost. TWO ENEMY SHIPS HIT. "Late in the afternoon Douglas divebombers attacked three enemy destroyers west of Guadalcanal, and one destroyer was damaged and an escorting seaplane was shot down. "On the night of October 19 naval aircraft attacked an. enemy cruiser west of Guadalcanal. The cruiser was damaged and stopped by at least one bomb hit.

"Early yesterday morning naval aircraft bombed enemy supply dumps and positions in north-west Guadalcanal. Late in the morning approximately 30 Zeros flew over the airfield, and 16 bombers escorted by fighters followed an hour later. Two of the enemy bombers and seven Zeros were shot down, and two United States fighters were lost.

It is the strongest centre of the Allied or United Nations' force. Therefore, it is very much to our advantage to have a Japanese attack come in the direction where we are in the best possible -position to absorb it." Mr. Harsch said that the original move in the Solomons was made deliberately to draw Japan off the backs of the Chinese and Russians and perhaps to save India. '