OVER 3000 SHELLS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20864, 17 August 1942, Page 3

OVER 3000 SHELLS

KISKA BOMBARDMENT JAPANESE BASE POUNDED SHIP AND CAMP LOSSES (By Telegraph—Press Aasn.—Copyright.) (9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Aug. 16. Further details of the raids on Kiska by a United States task force on August 8 and 9 are given in a Navy Department communique, which reveals that a fourth enemy vessel, a destroyer, was heavily damaged and left burning. A fleet of about 10 cargo ships and transports and four submarines were observed in the harbour before the bombardment by the task force, which encountered opposition from the shore batteries and seaplane fighters. The American ships were not damaged and only one plane was lost. Over 3000 shells were fired into the enemy’s main camp. Large fires were started. A secondary camp was also heavily bombarded, resulting in the silencing of all the batteries ashore. “The Japanese toehold on Kiska and Attu constitutes a potential threat, but the situation is not serious,” said a ranking naval officer who has returned from the Aleutians. He added: “If we needed Kiska we could take it. The Japanese are due for a surprise if they attempt a major attack.” Importance Minimised The officer minimised the importance of the Aleutians in the general Pacific strategy. Mr. Magnuson, a member of the House of Representatives’ Naval Affairs who has returned from a visit to Alaska, said he was convinced the military plan was to pulverise Kiska out of commission or to take it by invasion before the winter. The Associated Press says that Mr. Magnuson yesterday alleged that United States bombers last June lost a chance to annihilate a Japanese surface force, including an aircraftcarrier, “because of the unfortunate failure of army and navy co-opera-tion.” . „ , He said that the navy informed the army command that a Japanese task force was located within operating distance, and requested the aid of land-based army planes against the Japanese. The army command, however, did not believe its orders warranted sending the air force, consequently the Japanese escaped unscathed. , . ~ Mr Magnuson added: However, the army and navy in Alaska are now working in the closest co-operation. Therefore there is no possibility of this happening again.”