JAPANESE PLAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 100, 24 October 1942, Page 7

JAPANESE PLAN

WAITING FOR RAINS

f&y Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, • October 22.

Australian-based medium bombers early yesterday morning without loss dropped 10 tons of bombs on a number of ships dispersed in a wide roadstead between Bum and Faisi, in the northern Solomons. Bad weather prevented observation of the results. Aerial reconnaissance has revealed considerable enemy shipping round Rabaul as well as in the northern Solomons waters. The Washington correspondent of the "New York. Times" emphasises that these aggregations of Japanese warships, auxiliaries, and transports are large. "The transports are unquestionably carrying troops which are scheduled to follow up the victory which the Japanese hope to gain in a sea action," he says, "The outcome of such an action is apparently being awaited by the enemy troops on Guadalcanal before launching a major offensive against the United States positions. At the same time the enemy appears to be hesitating to enter into contest against the American navy as long as the weather conditions permit free operation~of air forces, since the American pilots and planes, specially divebombers and torpedo planes, have demonstrated their decided superiority^, "However, such planes require fairly high ceilings, and the rainy season which is now opening may ground these planes, after which the Japanese might be able to achieve momentary superiority, in which event they will obviously try for a decisive engagement."