ON GUADALCANAR

Grey River Argus, 24 November 1942, Page 5

ON GUADALCANAR

10.000 Japs Killed SAYS U.S.A. OFFICER. WASHINGTON. Nov. 21. United States Marines and soldiers s’ have k'lled at least 10.000 Japanese on Guadalcanar since the campaign

• on August 1, conservatively es-' 1 um-’tes Naval Lieutenant Peterkm, -just returned from the front. He i said he believed the actual total I would be astounding. It was not I unusual for a thousand to be killed I nightly in one sector. | Lt. Peterkin pointed out that the first stage of the great naval battle lbe°-an on the afternoon of November 112° when 21 Mitusbishi bombers wnh Zero fighters attacked Admiral Callaghan’s naval force, which was supporting American transports. All the Japanese planes were wiped out, only one possibly escaping. An enemy transport force was reported on the morning of November 14, “coming down the grove.” Planes from Guadalcanar met the enemy 75 miles north-westwards, and smashed the transport force so badly that Lt. Peterkin thought the succeeding sea action was merely the aftermath. He explained that it was not celebrated at Guadalcanar, where the situation changed so rapidbc They never knew what came next. Nevertheless, the troops felt the worst was over now and were optimistically discussing the next island objective.