GREAT NAVAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 14 August 1942, Page 3

GREAT NAVAL

SOLOMONJSLANDS U.S. FORCES’ DRIVE THREE MAIN LANDINGS ENEMY BASES BATTERED (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 14. A great naval battle has again developed in the Solomons, according to an Australian Broadcasting Commission report. It is believed that the action is progressing satisfactorily for the Allies, despite determined Japanese efforts to drive off our fleet support. Meanwhile United States Marines are forcing their way inland on Tulagi, Florida and a third unnamed island, either Guadalcanar or Makambo.

Australian and American aircraft of the South-West Pacific Command continue to devastate enemy aerodromes and harass enemy shipping. It was revealed at General MacArthur’s headquarters yesterday that reconnaissance in recent days had shown considerable enemy shipping concentrations in the Rabaul area. While their purpose is not definitely known, these concentrations were close enough to the Solomons to have been intended to reinforce the Japanese there. The successful attacks announced in the latest communique were made by “Flying Fortresses.” 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 harbour. This crippling blow was delivered on the seventh successive day of concentrated air attacks on potentia, enemy reinforcement points for the Solomons. Allied bombers have sunk or severely damaged five Japanese ships in the past two days. All the Allied planes returned from the latest smashing raid on Rabaul harbour. They were intercepted by a flight of enemy fighters, one of which was shot down and three, to six others hit and damaged. Banda Sea Attacks Shipping and installations at enemy island bases in the Banda Sea were attacked by 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. With the Allied invasion force striking harder and still harder blows, Tokio is hedging about the battle. An official broadcast promised details of the fighting within 24 hours. A Domei News Agency broadcast from the Tokio radio, which is purported to be based on information obtained from Captain Kamada, Japanese naval spokesman at Shanghai, pictured the battle of the Solomons as a struggle fought at sijcn close quarters that rival warships actually collided. The Domei News Agency persisted in the fiction that the battle ended after one night. Captain Kamada claimed a victory for the Japanese, attributable partly to the Americans’ poor training for night fighting and partly to the Americans’ surprise when they met Japanese naval as well as air forces. The German naval spokesman, Admiral Luejzow, speaking from the Berlin radio, belittled the importance of the Solomons fighting and described the Allied attack as merely an offensive action to protect American shipping lanes to Australia. Losses May Be. High Informed observers .'believe that while Allied ship and personnel losses may be high, the offensive is proceeding favourably. It is pointed out that security for Allied communications in the Pacific and eventual security against attack for Australia and New Zealand are worth a high cost. American opinion on the action continues to be widely quoted here. Major Fielding Eliot, military commentator of the New York HeraldTribune, says:" “Whether it succeeds or fails, the Solomons operation will tend to check 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 full-scale operations in all these theatres.' 1 “Pertinax,” the former French commentator, who is now in America, declares that August 15 was mentioned in many diplomatic despatches as the date Japan was likely to select for a blow against Siberia. He says that the offensive in the Solomons may have been timed to make the Japanese Prime Minister, General Tojo, think twice before shouldering the task.