BIG AIR OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 21, 26 January 1943, Page 5

BIG AIR OFFENSIVE

U.S. Forces In South Pacific

(Ky Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Ree. 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, January 25. A Navy Department communique says: "During the morningl of January 22 United States ground forces on Guadalcanal attacked Japanese positions west of the airfield. Despite strenuous enemy opposition, six important elevations were captured and 110 Japanese killed. "Continued aggressive tactics on January 23 enabled our forces to capture Kokumbona and seize quantities of stores and equipment. United States troops continued mopping up packets of enemy resistance, and 91 Japanese were killed and 40 taken prisoner. "United States aircraft bombed and damaged a large Japanese destroyer and cargo ship in the Shortland Island area. "During the night of January 23-24 enemy planes raided the United States positions on Guadacanal. United States air and surface forces on January 23-24 bombarded the enemy positions on Kilombangara Island, in the New Georgia Group. The operations were successfully completed, and fires and explosions in fuel and ammunition dumps indicated that the \ area held by the enemy was completely burned out." In the words of the United States navy spokesman, these activities, together with those in the Munda area, constitute the greatest air activity in tl\e South and South-west Pacific since Pearl Harbour. Reporting from an American base in the Solomons a United Press correspondent, Robert Miller, says that American torpedo-boats are estimated to have sunk or damaged 250,000 tons of enemy shipping, including a battleship, two cruisers, and thirteen destroyers, since they began operations in the Solomons in October. Previously the Japanese used to send ships laden with reinforcements for Guadalcanal with monotonous regularity; now the traffic on this route has been practically stopped. The torpedo-boats instilled such fear in the minds of the Japanese that they no longer pause to unload supplies, but throw them overboard in floating crates, most of which are destroyed by torpedo-boats and planes before they can reach the shore. A correspondent of the Associated Press of America at an advanced base in the South Pacific, says that General Vandegrift, when handing over his command to General Patch, remarked: "The situation is in good hands, and I feel that at present Guadalcanal is secure." He added that the Americans are taking terrific toll- of the enemy in the Solomons in addition to the many thousands of Japanese who went down in their warships and troopships when attempting to land. He estimated that ten Japanese had been killed for every American, and that their aerial losses were seven to one. "The Japanese is a good fighting man, but no superman, and can be killed the same as anyone else."