SOLOMONS NAVAL BATTLE

Grey River Argus, 9 February 1943, Page 5

SOLOMONS NAVAL BATTLE

NO FINALITY YET

Outcome Uncertain <Aust. &. N.Z. Cable Assn.l NEW YORK, Feb. 7. “Both the Americans and the Japanese have great naval forces protecting their respective Solomons bastions,” says the “New York Daily News.” “After nine days these forces are still feeling for each other’s weaknesses.” [Special to N.Z. Press Assn.l SYDNEY, Feb. 8. Sharp differences of opinion about what is happening in the Pacific behind the obscurity of the guarded official statements continue to be evident. While many war news analysts are confident of a successful outcome of the great naval battle which is being generally anticipated others of high reputation warn that the advantages in action will lie with Japan. “Americans may well pay for victory in the Solomons,” writes the “New York Sun” columnist, David Lawrence, who says that the United States is outnumbered in warships and ’planes in the South Pacific and that the enemy is fighting from bases more favourably located than those of the Allies. Urging more positive Allied action in this theatre. Lawrence warns that the future may hold serious losses as well as uneasy days. He adds: “The cold-blooded decision to wait until after Hitler is beaten before sending reinforcements to the Pacific will stand up before public opinion only as long as the American forces are victorious.” A similar warning is given by Warren G. Magnuson, Democratic member for Washington in the House of Representatives, who says it is becoming more and more apparent that the Japanese are the toughest nut the Allies have to crack, with resources making her, potentially, the strongest military nation in the world. “With constant pressure on Japan, even at the expense of time involved in cleaning up Europe, we may find the Atlantic situation cleared, but a stalemate in the Pacific.” says Mr Magnuson. “The Japanese sea and air power must be drained by a continued offensive in the Solomons and in New Guinea.” Admiral Harold Stark, Commander of the United States Naval Forces in Europe has returned to London after conferences in Washington with Mr Roosevelt and United States Navy Department officials.

ENEMY ARC

North of Australia SIGNS OF STRENGTHENING. (Special to N.Z. Press Assn 1 (Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 8. There is, a further indication of the thickening of the enemy’s defensive arc to the north of Australia. Timika. in Dutch New Guinea, is today mentioned in the communique tor the first time. It was bombed and strafed by a Liberator. Another enemy base in the same area, Kaukenau, first appeared in a communique last week. It has also Peen again attacked. Timika and Kaukenau, which are eight miles apart, are about 550 air miles from Darwin During the past month the evidence nas mounted of a steady Japanese infiltration along the south coast of Dutch New Guinea towards the Allied base of Merauke.

WAU AIR BATTLE

Jap. Losses REVISED REPORT SYDNEY, Feb. 8. It is now reported that in Saturday’s air battle in New Guinea over ,Wau. out of forty-one Japanese shot down, only} 26 are claimed as definitely destroyed and 15 as seriously damaged and probably destroyed, 'the jungle around Wav was dotted with fires of burning enemy planes. The “Sydney Herald” correspondent says: “With the greatest array of fighter and bomber strength they had marshalled since the battle of >.—• Lae convoyl early in January, the Japanese tried unsuccessfully to force their way through our air screen. Five air battles were fought over Wau in two and a-quarter hours. From all these encounters every' Allied fighter formation came out without a single loss.” Saturday’s success was not confined to any' one type of Allied fighter. American Lightnings. Kittyhawks, and Aircobras' all took part in actions which were fought at altitudes ranging from 2,000 to 18,000 feet. All commentators play glowing tributes to the Allied airmanship which contributed so largely to the amazing result. The battle began shortly before 11 o’clock on Saturday morning, when eight Kittyhawks, escorting heavy transport planes to Wau, attacked 12 Jananese medium bombers and fighters alreadv raiding the airfield. Eleven of the enemy planes were shot down and others damaged, two ot them so seriously that it is unlikely they reached their base. While this action was taking place, eight Airacobras arrived with more Allied transports, all of which were 1 ordered to return to their base. The Airacobras attacked a force of about 30 enemy planes, mostly fighters, shooting down 11. The skies were scarcexy cleat when four Lightnings chased 12 Zeros back towards their base.. By early afternoon only six enemy Zeros remained to dispute the Allied air supremacy. They were intercepted by a superior force of KittyhawKS and Airacobras. Three were shot down and the remaining three staggered off in. a' faltering flight with their fuselages riddled. By this time the Japanese had had enough and Wau aerodrome was left unmolested throughout the rest of the day. in the great Lae air battle which began on January 6 and ended on January 10, more than 80 Japanese planes were definitely destroyed, and the probable destruction of enemy aircraft totalled about 150. ' . Japanese air defeats such as that in Saturday’s battle over Wau are beIne 7 accepted in the United States as evidence that Japan has already lost one important phase of the Pacific Discussing recently the reported, reorganisation of the Japanese -A Force, the American Ofnce of Wai Information states that the enemy plane losses now run into many thousands, meaning a virtual liquidation of the first-line 'aircraft and personnel with which Japan embarked, on the war The losses are claimed to have impaired the morale of enemy fliers and Washington says that Japanese pilots openly blame their deficient training for their losses.