BIGGEST FORCE USED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21066, 10 April 1943, Page 3

BIGGEST FORCE USED

ENEMY IN SOLOMONS U.S. AERIAL VICTORY (11 a.m.) NEW YORK, April, 10. The Japanese force of 50 bombers and -18 Zeros was one of thestrongest ever sent against the American positions in the Solomons, says the Washington correspondent of the United Press. The communique announcing the raid did not disclose whether any American shipping was damaged, but i.ho decisive victory gained by the American air force is regarded as indicating that the enemy failed to gain any notable success against tho surface ships. The big aerial battle was the climax ni: two days' exceptional activity by both sides. ■ 1 This large-scale Japanese raid on Guadalcanal 1 shipping is apparently an indication of the enemy's dogged determination to continue attempts to harass and punish the American Ibices in the' Pacific theatres, regardless of cost," comments the New York Times’ correspondent in Washington. "Despite the loss of many hundred planes and tremendous losses of shipping and troops in both Ad- . nival Halsey’s and General MticA rlhur’s territories, the Japanese are continually reinforcing their air strength and boring in for attempted blows which, thus far, have ended disastrously. After the fall of Ouadalcanar the Japanese seemed deficicnt in bomber strength, but the latest raid indicates that this arm also lias been reinforced. 1 ‘ The Secretary of War, Mr, H. L. Stinison, and the Secretary of tho Navy, Colonel F. Knox, recently gave a warning of the growing Japanese strength in the Pacific, hut the result of this raid shows that the American forces have also been strengthened."