JAP. WARSHIPS BOMBED

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1942, Page 5

JAP. WARSHIPS BOMBED

THREE CRUISERS HIT

SHIPS AND ’PLANES DAMAGED

GUADALCANAL DEVELOPMENTS

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

SYDNEY, October 19. Australian land-based flying forces have made four separate raids on a powerful concentration of Japanese warships and transports off Bougainville Island in the north-west Solomons. Three Japanese cruisers are believed to have been hit with 10001 b. bombs. A merchantman was set on fire There were seven enemy flying boats either destroyed or damaged. A seaplane tender and caigo vessels were also attacked with unknown results. , , These raids were made by probably the largest force of bombers that has been sent from General MacArthur’s command to help the American defenders in the Solomons Islands. The raid beghn early on Sunday morning and lasted through several hours of darkness. The last flight saw Japanese vessels burning fiercely. Not a single Allied plane was lost. Japanese Zero night lighters attempted to intercept the third flight ol the Allied planes, but their attack was weak, and was easily beaten on. The first formation of bombers to fly over the target area, near Bum, dropped flares, which illuminated the Japanese shipping, which was at anchor in a stretch of water that has been used by the enemy for some time as a naval dispersal area. In this initial instalment, 22 tons of bombs were dropped among the shipping; and the planes then proceeded to bombs and strafe an airfield which the Japanese are using for the operations against the Americans fortress on Guadalcanal Island. The second attack which is believed to have hit three Japanese cruisers, was helped by the light from burning ships. 'The third group bombed a large seaplane tender and cargo vessels. Then a final flight came in at a low altitude and strafed a cargo vessel setting it ablaze. They then destroyed or damaged a number of large flying boats with. incendiaries. This was the sixth series of attacks made by Australian-based planes against Buin in the past fortnight. It was the 19th attack made in that period against three main bases from which Japanese bombers could operate against the American positions in the Solomons. Rabaul has been raided six times, with nearly two hundred tons of bombs, and Buka seven times. In addition, Japanese warships and transport concentrations in the BuinFaisi area have been attacked several times earlier this month by Beaufort torpedo bombers, as well as other land-based bombers and carrier aircraft. U.S.A. NAVAL BOMBARDMENT (Recd. 11.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON. October 19. The Navy announced that American surface ships bombarded the Japanese on north-western Guadalcanal, causing heavy explosions, fires, and direct hits on ammunition dumps. JAP. AERIAL LOSSES (Recd. 12.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 19. The Navy announced that on October 18, 20 enemy bombers, escorted by 20 Zero fighters, attacked our positions at Guadalcanal. Our Grumman Wildcats intercepted them and shot down eight enemy bombers and 11 Zeros. Two of our fighters are missing.

FURTHER PARTICULARS

(Recd. 1.25 p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 19

A United States Navy communique says: On October 16, our divebombers attacked enemy installations at Rekata Bay. Several anti-aircraft batteries were bombed, fuel storages set on fire, and twelve enemy seaplanes strafed and burnt. One twinengined bomber was shot down by Wild Cats, and Army Flying Fortresses destroyed a large flying-boat. Four direct bomb hits completed the destruction of two of the three transports previously damaged, and beached on "the north-west coast of Guadalcanal.

On October 7, during the morning, United States surface vessels bombarded enemy positions in northwestern Guadalcanal. (This amplifies to-day’s earlier message.) Heavy explosions and fires followed hits on ammunition dumps. Throughout the day our aircraft on Guadalcanal continued to attack the enemy shore positions. During the night of October 17/18, Japanese surface forces shelled our installations on the north coast of the island.

The communique says: No recent troop activity, or enemy landings on Guadalcanal, have been reported. A strong force of enemy warships, transport, and cargo ships which assembled at Shortland Island area, has been bombed repeatedly by Allied heavy bombers, as announced by General MacArthur.

POSSESSION OF ’DROME NEW YORK. Oct. 19. The New York “Herald-Tribune’s” Washington correspondent says: The general impression of well-informed military observers here is that the Solomons picture is not pretty. A Navy spokesman, commenting on the latest communique, gave a caution against unduly optimistic conclusions from the reported American air victories. Fie pointed out that all of the details cannot be published, because they would be valuable to the enemy. From this remark, observers have inferred that the communique is doubtless unbalanced. The ultimate test of victory is the possession of the Guadalcanal aerodrome. Thus, even though they have lost many planes, if the Japanese recapture the aerodrome, they will be able to jeopardise the American sea communications with Australia.

NAVAL BATTLE

NEW YORK, October 19

The United Press of America cites military and naval experts to the effect that the outcome of the land fighting on Guadalcanal Island hinges on an impending naval struggle to determine which side shall gain supremacy. This is needed to carry reinforcements to the ground forces. Observers think that the American naval strategy includes a combination of the American tactics in the Coral Sea and Midway battles and in Japanese tactics in the Java Sea battle. With the enemy surface units concentrated in the narrow waters of the Solomons Archipelago, the U.S.A, strategy would involve continued assaults against the Japanese fleet by torpedo and dive-bombers. Thereafter American surface vessels waiting at the mouths of _ narrow straits . would pounce on retiring enemy ships just as the Japanese attacked the Allied units after the main action in Java Sea. NAVAL STRENGTH (Recd. 9.45 a.m.) NEW YORK, October 19. The United States in 1943 will turn out a greater navy than any nation ever possessed. Colonel Knox told an

audience at Manchester, New Hampshire. . , ... He added: “That is true both as to number and balance of types of ships. Its only equal would be the combined United States-British„ Navies at the beginning of the war.”

DISPOSITION OF FORCES

PURPOSE OF U.S.A. STRATEGY

(N.55.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, October 19

In the obscurity of official reticence and the confusion of conflicting opinion among war correspondents, one fact stands out in the battle lor the Solomons. That is that the Japanese are intent upon pouring into this “war crucible” the maximum strength of ships, aeroplanes, and men they are able to muster. Anything less than complete victory lor Japan will carry the implication of eventual defeat in the Pacific war. It will be, an admission that Japans power by sea and air is no lotigei capable of sustaining, still less ol expanding, her Pacific empire. In her efforts to win back the Solomons, Japan has withdrawn strength from her main bases in the central Pacific," probably from the Netherlands East Indies, and apparently from New Guinea. That she is unable to maintain her New Guinea offensive while preparing for the blow in the Solomons is in itself an admission ol comparative weakness.. There have been a few war observers who have believed that the American grip on the south-eastern Solomons was complete and secure. It has been widely held that Japan could retake the islands —if she. were prepared to nay a price sufficiently high. The gravest danger to the Allies’ broad Pacific strategy is perhaps less that the islands, be retaken than that the price of their recapture should not be sufficiently high in irreplacable ships and aircraft. A decisive victory for the Allies m the naval battle which, if not already joined, is onw almost certainly looming, would mark the real start of the much talked-of island-hopping offensive against Japan. By taking the southern Solomons the Americans merely put themselves in position lor such an offensive. While Japan may have won local air supremacy in the Solomons (although this is still in dispute), it has been gained only at the expense ol other theatres. On the broader Pacific front air superiority now lies with the United Nations. JAP. SHIPPING LOSSES Japan's sea losses in this war of attrition have been heavy and may well be an eventual decisive factor. Among the 368 Japanese vessels claimed as sunk during the war, Mr William Fleisher, former editor of the “Japan Advertiser,” lists six aircraft-carriers, 24 cruisers, 45 destroyers', 29 submarines, 93 transports, 12 supply ships, and 99 merchant ships. Further heavy losses in the Solomons naval battle, unless these are compensated for by a crippling defeat of the American fleet, would put Japan definitely on the defensive. The first aim in the double strategy motivating the American occupation in the south-eastern Solomons was to break the key stone ol' Japanese encirclement in the south-west Pacific, and protect the Allied supply-lino. The second was to draw the Japanese navy into a position where its valuable units would become vulnerable to attack by Allied ships and aircraft. “At the moment the second objective seems to have been too successful,” says a war commentator in the “Christian Science Monitor,” “but not until the word comes from the silent United States licet will it be possible to tell whether the Japanese have run into a trap or whether their naval striking force has again been under-estimated.”

The correspondent adds that the appearance of Japanese battleships off the Solomons has given rise to the question, “where are the big United States battle waggons?” Two factors affect the answer. United States naval men still believe that a full-dress engagement between capital ships is a distinct possibility. Thus the American ships must remain where they may best serve for such an event. Alternatively, knowing the Japanese penchant for economy of force, the United States may have decided that the Solomons could be defended and reinforced by heavy cruisers alone. But there is no reason to suppose that United States reinforcement by capital ship strength is impossible. Air supremacy, perhaps depending on American ability to hold the Guadalcanal airfield and maintain it in commission, is likely to influence the outcome of any major naval battle. But it is this battle which will decide the whole future course of the Pacific war. Until the question of Pacific naval supremacy has been decided, the course of the war in this theatre must remain incalculable and liable to sudden upsets.

ADVANCE IN NEV/ GUINEA

JAP. CASUALTIES HEAVY

LONDON, October 19

The Australians in New Guinea have forced the Japanese back still further in the Owen Stanley ranges. With Templeton's Crossing already behind them, the Australians launched a series of attacks which succeeded in driving the Japanese from positions in the forward ridges. Relatively heavy casualties were inflicted on the Japanese. They were also forced to abandon some material. The Australians have now left the jungle country behind, and are passing into a terrain which is rough, rocky, and somewhat timbered. Allied air attacks have been continued, the latest being against Jap-anese-occupied villages near Salamaua. FIJI’S DEFENCE WELLINGTON. October 19. Major-General Sir Philip Mitchell, Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner in the Western Pacific, met the War Cabinet to-day, and a discussion was held on matters .of mutual concern in the South Pacific area. TOKIO RAIDERS (Recd. 12.10 p.rn.) LONDON, October 19. The American airmen captured on April 18, in the United States bombing raid on Tokio, have been puninshed, says the Tokio radio. Punishment has been imposed in accordance with Military law. for their failure to observe the principles of humanity. The radio added that Japan will execute or severely punish, airmen taken prisoner, who are found to have committed cruel or inhuman acts in attacks on Japanese, or Japanese held i territory. I “During the investigation, American airmen ■who had been captured, said that it was proper for them deliberately to bomb Japanese hospi-

tals. schools, and civilian homes. The Army therefore has severely dealt with these Americans”, declared the Tokio radio.

Official Washington reports of the raid stated that all the raiding planes returned, and only military objectives were hit. Tokio claimed that nine of the raiders were shot down, and that the bombs landed on a school and hosoital.

NATL YES ILL-T REATED

SYDNEY, October 19

The natives in the Japanese-occu-pied islands are living under conditions of slavery, according to “boys” who have escaped from Rabaul. These “boys” were members of a large party which has arrived in Allied territory after a month’s journey. They said that when the Japanese occupied Rabaul the natives were rounded up into barbed wire compounds. They were put to work, given insufficient food, and frequently thrashed. Former Japanese residents m New Britain had been brought back and appointed to positions similar to those previously held by Australian district officers. These officials dispensed summary justice. A native said that one Japanese official who held, been a trader in Rabaul some years ago, concluded his inquiry into a dispute between two natives by cutting off the hand of the man he believed to be responsible for the trouble. Three hundred Japanese geisha girls are stated to have been brought to Rabaul The girls dress in kimonos, and wear wooden clog shoes. Natives have been forbidden to speak to them. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS JAP. DESTROYERS BOMBED (Recd. 11.25) NEW YORK, Oct. 19. 1 Twenty-six low-flying Maraudei bombers carried out a deck level attack against enemy shipping at Kiska on Friday, says the United Press correspondent in Alaska. Quoting an army announcement, he states that the Marauders found destroyers disguised as cargo ships. J.ne attackers saw crates on the ships decks flv high through smoke, flame and geysers of water. Japanese sailors were seen going over the side clinging to the wreckage, the ships were the first Japanese craft sighted near Kiska for several days. Army officials believed the crates on the decks contained fighter planes for the Kiska garrison, which is apparently without fighter protection. The Army announcer indicated there would be continued and relentless attacks to drive the Japanese from the Aleutians.

(Recd. 1.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 19. A Navy communique says: On October 17 (Washington date) Army Liberator bombers attacked a camp in the Kiska area, and bombed snips beached in the harbour. Fifteen tons of bombs were dropped, but overcast conditions prevented observation of the results. Anti-aircraft opposition was light and no enemy aircraft was seen.