SOLOMONS STRUGGLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 August 1942, Page 5

SOLOMONS STRUGGLE

U.S. A. LAND FORCE’S PROGRESS

PARATROOPS HARASS JAPS.

BIG NAVAL ACTION REPORTED

SYDNEY, August 13. News from the Solomon Islands is believed here io be more encouraging than, for the last few days* The atmosphere at General MacArthur s South-west Pacific headquarters has been one of expectant waiting. However, the battle is said to show no signs of ending, and there is no indication of the position becoming stabilised. American forces are moving inland in the Tulagi area and are now locked in fierce hand-to-hand fighting with Japanese troops. The impression that the Allied position in the Solomon Islands battle has improved in the last 24 hours is recorded by the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s observer at an advanced base. The feeling in Australia is that the Japanese hold on Tulagi has been weakened. The original Allied landing parties have been strongly reinforced. A United States Navy communique states that operations in the Solomon Islands are progressing. It is confirmed that United States marines landed as scheduled on three islands in the vicinity of Tulagi. The marines are now engaged in consolidating these positions. The supporting naval forces have been engaged in bitter fighting, details of which are not yet available. United States Army and Australian aeroplanes are continuing attacks on enemy landing fields and shore-based aircraft. There is substantial evidence that the Japanese planned and had well under way the development of an enemy base in the Tulagi area. Until more details are available, it will be impossible to elaborate further on these operations. All available . communications facilities are overtaxed by urgent messages concerning the operations. The Tokio radio broadcast a Domei News Agency report, allegedly based on information obtained from Captain Kamada, Japanese naval spokesman at Shanghai, which pictured the battle of the Solomon Islands as a struggle fought at such close quarters that the rival warships actually collided. The report persisted in the fiction that the battle ended after one night. Captain Kamada claimed a victory for the Japanese, attributing it partly to the poor training of the American troops in night fighting, and partly to the surprise of the Americans when they met Japanese naval as well as airforces.

NAVAL BATTLE

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, August 13. A great naval battle has again developed in the Solomon Islands, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Commission. It is believed that the action is progressing satisfactorily for the Allies, in spite of the fact that the Japanese are making determined efforts to drive off the Allied fleet support. Meanwhile United States marines are forcing their way inland on Tulagi and Florida Islands, and on a third unnamed island, either Gaudalcanar or Makambo.

Informed observers believe that the Allied ship and personnel losses may be high, but that the Allied offensive is proceeding favourably. It is pointed out that to obtain security for the Allied communications in the Pacific and also an eventual security against attack for Australia and New Zealand are worth the high cost. . With the Allied invasion force striking harder and still harder blows in the Solomons and adjacent areas, Tokio is hedging about the battle. An official broadcast has promised to give details of the fighting within 24 hours. VARYING ESTIMATES SYDNEY, August 13. American opinion on the action continues to be widely quoted heie. One American expert, Major Mcicting Eliot, says: “Whether it succeeds or fails, the Solomons operation will tend to check the Japanese freedom of action, not only against Siberia, but also in China and on the frontier of India. The Japanese air force is not large enough to provide for lullscale operations in all of these theatres.” , * , A German naval spokesman, Admiral Luetzow, speaking on the Beilin radio, belittled the importance of the Solomons Islands fighting. He described the Allied attaclc there as “merely an offensive action to protect the American shipping lanes to Australia.

FURTHER IMPROVEMENT ALLIES’ RACE AGAINST TIME SYDNEY, August 14. Latest reports indicate that the Solomons position has further improved in the past 24 hours. Tne Japanese hold on the southern Solomons is being broken. The original landing force has been strongly reinforced, and the Japanese on Tulagi, Florida, Guardalcanar and Malaita have been driven from many of their defensive positions. It is believed that the Japanese have decided to run the risk of bringing a strong fleet into action against the American and Australian warships. The Allies continue to hold sea and air superiority. t It is accepted in Federal circles here that there are good grounds wr believing that the initial step m the Allies’ long-range plans for an offensive against Japanese-occupied territory is succeeding. Land fighting is reported to be particularly bitter on Guaralcanar where the enemy has several airfields under construction. The island also has excellent anchorages along the coastline. With Tulagi, Guadalcanal- is regarded as the chief prize in the Solomons, fine Japanese forces are reported to be strongly entrenched in prepared positions, in high ground on the centre of Tulagi, and fighting stubbornly. Prominence is given here to an article bv the Washington Columnist, Drew Pearson, who says the Allied offensive in the Solomons is a race against time to prevent the Japanese fortifying the Solomons at breakneck speed. He says that they have been building aeroplane runways, fuel depots, and anti-aircraft emplacements. The navy had to move before the Japanese got too deeply entrenched. Some strategists figure that if the Japanese were given a year to fortify the South Pacific Islands, it would take from three to four years to dislodge them. , . x , American military strategists believe that if the Solomons offensive takes its expected course, it will lead to gigantic Allied landing operations in the next six months. Hanson Baldwin, the “New York Times” military commentator, says: “The United States marines and other U.S.-Australian forces are undertaking the first small step in what will probably. be the most difficult operation in history of amphibian warfare. This is a step-by-step island-by-island advance across the Pacific. It is a backbreaking task, and cannot be accomplished quickly against the Japanese. Gilbert Cant, the “New York Post” Foreign News Editor, says: “The Solomons landing suggests not only that the Japanese Navy is spread dangerously thin, but that the Allies

are in a position to take full advantage of the enemy’s difficulties.” Several commentators emphasise the importance of land-based aircraft in Pacific warfare, and declare that the Allied advances in the area where the Japanese possess this advantage, must prove very costly. FIGHTING AT KOKODA (N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent). SYDNEY, August 13. “A number of the enemy liquidated, many perforated,” was the laconic message received by Allied headquarters from the command of the Australian land forces which made a successful raid on Kokoda, in Papua, last Sunday. By skilful strategy, the Japanese were dispossessed of Kokoda village. The Australian commander organised three separate thrusts to draw out the Japanese, and then, when the enemy had been enticed out of Kokoda, the Australian force, which had remained in hiding in the jungle, reentered the village without a shot being fired. However, confused fighting was known to be continuing on Monday night. The Japanese, after their initial mistake, are hitting bacx vigorously. . A large force of Airacobra fighters, each carrying a medium bomb, closely supported the Kokoda . operations, dive-bombing and strafing the enemy positions, and silencing ma-chine-gun posts. A former Kokoda patrol officer, now in the army, assisted in picking out objectives for the aeroplanes, and marked Ins own house as a main target. This was the first time in the south-west Pacific that fighters have been used as bombers, and the results are stated to have been highly satisfactory. Each of the Australian patrol forces killed or wounded many of the enemy. Their own casualties were light. After lying hidden in the jungle for six hours within a few yards of Japanese patrols, Mr.. George Grahamshaw, formerly district officer at Buna, has made his way back to an Australian outpost. He led a small reconnaissance patrol into forward areas after the Japanese landing at the Gona mission. They were attacked by a large enemy force, and dispersed. Mr. Grahamshaw became separated from the party, and had to lie hidden near a track while Japanese troops passed along it. Ultimately he managed to shake off pursuit, but his circuitous journey back to Australian-held territory mok la days. He brought back with him an American airman who parachuted from his aeroplane over the enemy area. JAP. SHIPS IN FLAMES SYDNEY, August 13. Allied heavy bombers left a 15,000ton Japanese ship in flames, another large vessel sinking, and two medium ships listing and ablaze in their latest day attack on Rabaul harboui. This crippling blow was delivered on the seventh successive day of concentrated Allied, air attacks on potential enemy reinforcement points tor the Solomon Islands. Allied bombers have sunk or severely damaged five Japanese ships in the last two days. All the Allied aeroplanes returneci safely from the latest smashing raid on Rabaul harbour. They were intercepted by a flight of enemy lighters, one of which was shot down, and three to six others hit and damaged. Shipping and installations at enemy island bases in the Banda sea were attacked by Allied medium bombers. The results are not known. Other enemy shipping off the south coast of Timor was also attacked, but again the results are not known.

JOURNALIST MISSING

MELBOURNE, August 13

Mr. Vern Haughland, staff correspondent of the Associated Press of America, was to-day listed as missing, five days after an aeroplane in which he was a passenger disappeared in a storm between north-eastern Australia and New Guinea. Mr. Haughland left the United States in January with other war correspondents for this theatre.

DUTCH SUCCESS.

RUGBY, August 13

A Dutch submarine operating with the eastern fleet attacked a convoy of Japanese supply vessels, according to the Netherlands Admiralty. Two ships were hit by torpedoes and were last seen ablaze, and must be considered total losses. ATTACK ON SIBERIA SYDNEY, August 13. “Pertinax,” a former French commentator, now in America, declares: “Saturday next, August 15, was mentioned in many diplomatic despatches as a date which Japan was likely to select for a blow against Siberia.” He says: “The offensive m the Solomons may have been timed to make General Tojo think twice before shouldering the task.”

S. AMERICAN ANXIETY

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 12.

South American diplomats and nationals are returning from Japan, fearing their continent may be next on Japan’s invasion time-table if eastern Australia falls. Peruvians, Colombians, and Ecuadorians are especially strong in this conviction, because their countries fie on the western coast of South America. The diplomats are expected to relay their fears to Washington through their respective governments in the hope that the United States will dispatch greater aid to Australia. South Americans believe that Japan intends to seize eastern Australia and then strike eastward front her bases towards New Zealand and other islands, such as Fiji and Samoa, hoping eventually to reach the South American coast. Chile’s long coast line is vulnerable. Peru has a large Japanese settlement. A foothold anywhere on the coast would then enable Japan io strike forward to the Panama Canal.