HEAVY FIGHTING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20859, 11 August 1942, Page 4

HEAVY FIGHTING

SOLOMON ISLES STIFF ENEMY STAND TOKiO'S HUGE CLAIMS IBy Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (2.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Aug. 10. Striking swiftly and unexpectedly three days, ago in the direction of Japanese bases in the Solomon Islands, Allied forces achieved what AdmiralE. J. King, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Navy, describes in a statement issued to-day as “planned landings’’ in the Tulagi area. Tulagi is a small island off the south coast of Florida —one of the British Solomon Group. The statement reads: “Offensive operations by United States naval and other forces looking to the occupation of an island in the Tulagi area m the south-easterly Solomon Islands have now been under way for about three days. The operations are under the immediate command of -Vice-Admiral R. Ghormley, commander in the South Pacific, and under the general control of Admiral' Chester Nimitz, Comman-der-in-Chief of the - Pacific Fleet. Certain forces under General MacArthur are co-operating. Expulsion of Japanese ■ ‘ “The objective of .the current operations is to expel the Japanese from the Tulagi area and make use of that area for our own purposes. The enemy has- been in process of consolidating their positions ■ and their purpose has been not only to deny them to us, .but to u§e them as a base for offensive operations against our positions' which cover the lines of communications to Australia and New Zealand. ~ ", V ■ “An 1 initial surprise . ;was. effected and well-timed landings were accomplished. The enemy counter-attacked . With rapidity. Heavy fighting is still in Our operating forces are employing all available communications in the : conduct of operations so that our information is incomplete, but it appears that we had at least one cruiser sunk, and two cruisers, two destroyers' and one transport damaged. Likewise, information as to the extent of, the damage inflicted on the enemy is incomplete; but it' includes a large number of enemy planes destroyed and surface units put out of action. Assumption of Initiative .. “This operation in the Tulagi area j is significant in that it marks our first ■ assumption of the initiative and offen- : sive. It is obvious that operations in the Pacific, however - successful, have been ‘initially of a defensive character. It should be understood -that the operation now in progress is one of the most complicated and difficult in warfare. Considerable losses, such as are inherent in any offensive operation, must be. expected.” The Tokio official radio states that Imperial 'Headquarters announce sweeping claims in .the naval battle off the Solomons. • ■ “Units of thh Japanese fleet initiated ( violent attacks against, the British and American' fleet off the * Solomons on j Friday which are still progressing. (■ As far as is known the Japanese Navy r has sunk one battleship of an un- s known type,'two cruisers of the.Aus- c tralia 'class, "two of the Astoria class, s at least three further cruisers' of •an j unknown type and also at least four,. v destroyers and over 10 transports. Furthermore, three,, cruisers of the Minneapolis ' class,-. at . least two t destroyers and more than one traps- £ port were heavily damaged.; “The -Japanese air force shot down c at least- 32 :fighters and -nine-dive- J bombers. The damage-suffered by the I Japanese - includes seven /aircraft t which oyer-carried- silibide dives and e two cruisers slightly, , damaged.” c