NO BATTLE AT SEA

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

NO BATTLE AT SEA

JAPS WEAKENING IN

AIR

■ NEW YORK, October 21. "The latest navy communique, indicating that the Solomons battle has not yet been joined, is based on recent reports, and presumably serves as a reply to continued Axis radio reports that a great battle is raging in the Solo-

mons," says the "New York Times" Washington correspond- i ent. "United States navy officials, however, decline to discuss this j propaganda. "It appears likely that the Japanese' may have indicated to the Axis that a major attack was under way on Guadalcanal, after which -their land assault was checked by the success of the American bombings of their troop concentrations and supply dumps.

"Observers noted the quick announcement of the loss of the destroyers Meredith and O'Brien as indicating the inauguration of a new navy policy. In such matters previously news of the sinkings had been withheld for as long as three months."

JAPS LOSE STRENGTH. The Washington correspondent of "P.M." says that American air experts regard the disproportionate Japanese losses in bombers and fighters in the Solomons as an infallible indication of a vital weakness in Japan's, war strength. They argue that casualties have so thinned the ranks of first-line Japanese pilots that inexperienced flyers are now being sent into battle.

"In the air battle last Saturday the enemy lost almost 50 per cent, of the raiding force, which is unprecedented in aerial warfare, and far beyond the expenditure allowance. The Japanese have lost over 350 planes so far in the battle for Guadalcanal —a number which is far out of proportion to the. scale of the engagement.

"In spite of the American air superiority in the Guadalcanal area," "P.M." continues, "the Japanese ai'e risking their battle fleet, which bears out the deduction that the Japanese cannot rely on their aviation to help wrest the island from the Allies.

"Airmen declare that there is evidence that the Japanese air force has cut down the period of training for aviators in order to increase the flow of fighting pilots. "If Japanese aircraft production is maintained at the comparatively high rate, for them, of 500 planes a month, it will be impossible for the Japanese to man the planes at the rate at which they have, been losing first-line pilots in the past few months. They are confessing this weakness in their war machine by placing inexperienced flyers in the important battle raging round Guadalcanal."