FURTHER JAPANESE ATTACK ANTICIPATED

Grey River Argus, 19 November 1942, Page 5

FURTHER JAPANESE ATTACK ANTICIPATED

Allies Expect to Occupy Buna Quickly

ROOSEVELT’S COMMENT, A “MAJOR VICTORY.” (Rec. 10.40) NEW YORK, Noy. 17. President Roosevelt was asked at his press conference for his “m" l6 s _ on the Solomons battle. Mi. Roose velt’s only comment on the shatter mg of the Japanese armada was. n ’ V <>bviously”grieveT President Roose, velt added: “Admiral Callaghan did - glorious thing in taking a ter‘ thou sand-ton cruiser a S ainst a 1 at thousand-ton Japanese battleship at point blank range.” GUADALCANAR MARINES GRATEFUL. (Rec 8 30) SYDNEY, Nov. 18. . A message from Guadalcaner e norts that General Van der Grut P Commar/der of the American fan forces in the Solomons, states th at is clear that the Japanese fered a devastating defeat. tterec | Van der Grift said: “ Th f_ r b c a ? s helmets of our fi ?htmg . ibute to Re U amAdmßals a Callaghan Scott, Lee later‘success possible. U.S. NAVY MEN’S DOUBTS. REMOVED BY VICTORY. I'Dr.n q NEW YORK. Nov 17. (R^e B “New York Times” Washington correspondent says. The „ rnons°victory has created new bv their doubts of the {nanner which they would meetthe formed n a 0 bl ?on , /e P r a St. odd M' i out the worst remaining enemy nest in New Guinea.” Effects of Victory

JAPANESE LINES ENDANGERED BUT TOUGH NUT YET TO CRACK. (Rec 8.30.) LONDON, Nov. 17. The London “Evening Standard in an editorial says: “The Americans are inflicting a crippling blow against the Japanese fleet, while Australians and Americans are advancing towards Buna, on the North Papuan coast. These happenings are of immediate and vital importance in relation .o the whole conduct of the war The news raises the hone of a land, sea and air pincer movement making IU baul untenable for the _ el ?£ my q wresting the control of the Southwest Pacific from the Axis. Already the vigorous Allied offensive-d e J-P s has had reactions on the eighty struggle nearer home. Japan nas been unable to stage a diversion which, bv straining British seapowm mteht have helped Hitler in ms hour of need. Great positivegains are within our grasp. Allied conti ol of the South-west Pacific means an end of the Japanese threat against Australia, and New Zealand It laj o open to attack the long communications between Tokio and the Japan-ese-conquered territories. It enables American resources to l)e applied with increasing effect to tho task Oi converting the Aleutian Island 1 ; a a dagger pointed right at tne neart of Japan.” The '‘Eyeninjr News gives a wan,ing that there is still- "a lot of hard fighting ahead before the Japanese seanower is destroyed.” It says: No • until it is destroved will the tide begin to roll back towards Tokio. Even then, the tide ma-» be slow, since the Japanese have fortified all of their far-flung conquests. Manv good fudges believe, with reason, that Japan will be a tougher nut to than Germanv.”

Further Jap Losses CRIPPLED SHIPS PURSUED. AND BASES BOMBED. (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec 8 30) SYDNEY. Noy. 18. United States Naval authorities are confidently predicting father J -P anese losses m the b b a result of cleaning-up o P a^ tlo " s n 1 ? y American plane and sur^? hino . o ff which have been bent on finish ite the crippled vessels of the neem o en On y Saturday night there Sees. are still Un ßoSbers of General command continue to at |^ k nemv which are being used by thei enemy for his operations in the Solomons. Flying Fortresses were over Kapauj harbour early on Tuesday morni g. They scored two direct hits on a large merchant vessel, which was sei ° n Cataiina Flying boats ‘have again attacked the Kahili aerodrome at Buin in the Northern Solomons, de stroying three enemy planes on 'tne ground, and causing fires and ex- ( P1 Rabau.l and Buin were the assembly positions for the Japanese Fleet centration which was shattered on Guadalcanar Island.

Review of Solomons POSITION REDEEMED. WITHIN A FORTNIGHT. A Press Association correspondent at a' South Pacific port says that amazing although it is, the most recent success of the Allied forces m the Solomons has not been unexpected. Although even now it would be wrong to disregard the continuance of danger from Japanese counterstrokes? it has recently been possible to trace a thorough transformation in the outlook for the area' from that of the critical September-October days, when only a superhuman endeavour redeemed the position, which was threatening to become hopeless. There have recently been suggestions that the Allied fo'rces protecting the Solomans footholds have been more than ever capable of resisting very powerful attacks. The most cheerful augurv of this has been the belief that the North African needs have

TreS and that the Japanese not been confronted by onl -Y t A h rhp°last loft tn the Americans after the iasr l-orndTf th? first battle died away Thus, the American losses„ T KilX I n d ea h n a '' e need e s n bSd Tallowed up all the available ships, aircraft and m Tl’ for the Japanese losses, the entmJ has in the last few months anoarentlv suffered a series of ham mer blows which at least must force a pause in his immediate ambitions, and which may even set back his ( general Pacific plans for some months. It is not likely that the fio-hting in the South-eastern Solomons will completely die away, because of what would have been a real disaster to any navy but it can rea sonably be hoped that las t as tonishing achievement of .the Arne cans will give them the initiative m the area and throw the Japanese back to a return to their former nibbling attrition tactics. The magnitude of the achievement can be given its proper status when it is realised that it was accurate to sav no longer than a fortnight ago, that the South Pacific countries whose security from attack depends so largely upon success m the Solo-

mons had no reason to be under any illusions about the nearness with which disaster threatened the Allied cause in September and October. Since then there have been various indications of a rapid improvement. The correspondent recalls an earlier statement by him that success for the Allied naval forces in the last series of actions would enable the base organisation to be advanced more than 1000 miles. It. is now hoped that such may be the case. A measure of the gains made and the change resulting when Guadalcanar was relieved a few weeks ago may be obtained from the fact that while the old line may retain its integral importance for supply command the base organisation will no doubt be moved well forward of it. If is the case, New Zealand apparently would no longer be the United nations naval command headquarters 'Ot the South Pacific area. This would, in itself, be a good lead to a new outlook on the Solomons. • He suggests that the Japanese have been hoist with their own petard. Instead .of catching We Americans by surprise as they hoped, without reinforcement, because ol the Mediterranean needs, and witn onlv the forces .left to them after the last round of the battle, the Japanese have apparently walked into forces whose strength they gravely underestimated. In addition to their ship losses, Japanese army personnel casualties in sunken transports must be a telling blow to their hopes for the immediate future.

U.S. NAVY FORCES LARGE. (Rec. 8.50.) SYDNEY, Nov 18. Mr Raymond Gram Swing, an American news analyst, says: “The Japanese have a heavy investment in Guadalcanar, and if thev do not fight .a third round in the battle for the Solomons, they will be forced irrevocably on the defensive. It is officially revealed that the presence of five Admirals, as well as possible other Admirals, indicates the size of the American forces engaged in'the main encounter, in which the United States battleships were in full action for the first time since the Spanish-American War.

Jap Threat Remains SYDNEY, Nov. 18. The “Herald,” in its comments on the “completeness” of the Solomons action, stresses that the threat to Australia and New Zealand will not be removed until Rabaul is once more in Allied hands. The paper says that a combined attack against Rabaul by Halsey’s and MacArthur s forces “would clearly be a' culminating stroke from the victories won on both lines of approach to it.” The Sydney “Telegraph says: io consolidate and extend our victory, we must press from defensive to oifensive action as quickly as the united Nations can give us instruments t 0 d ° S °' SYDNEY, Nov. 18. ' Whether Japan will return to the attack on Guadalcanar or wul attempt a new diversionary blow at some other spot, is a subject for speculation. It has been announced by the Tokio official radio that Admiral Koga has been transferred from China, waters to an undisclosed area. Admiral Nomura Yoshida now commands tne China waters. RESCUE OF RICKENBACKER. (Rec. 1.5.) NEW YORK, Nov. 18. The American ace, Commander Rickenbacker and Private Bartek were lashedi to the wings of a rescue ’plane as it taxied forty miles to its base, says the War Department. The smallness of the observation ’plane allowed only Colonel Adamson in the cockpit. Rickenbacker, after floating for three weeks on a raft needs a jfortnight’s rest. He fe anxious to | complete the inspection of aviation [facilities in the South-west Pacific.