Japanese Launch Co-ordinated Attack

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 255, 28 October 1942, Page 5

Japanese Launch Co-ordinated Attack

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Tuesday, 8.30 p.m. WASHINGTON, Oct. 26. A Navy communique issued on October 25 states that the Japanese launched a coordinated land, sea and air attack on Guadalcanar. The Army, Marines and aircraft opposed the attacks in a heavy action all day on October 26. An American carrier task force exchanged aerial thrusts with a strong enemy force northeast of Guadalcanar and the American destroyer Porter was sunk and a carrier severely damaged. Other vessels sustained lesser damage. > Two enemy carriers were damaged in this action but details are incomplete.

On October 25, in the early morning, enemy troops determinedly attacked the southern flank of the American positions on Guadalcanar but the Army and Marines held the positions. In the middle of the morning a force of enemy cruisers and destroyers shelled Guadalcanar from the northward. Early in the afternoon Douglas Dauntless dive-bomoers from Guadalcanar attacked a force of enemy cruisers and destroyers northwards of Florida Island. A direct bomb hit damaged and stopped one enemy cruiser. Shortly after 16 enemy dive-bombers attacked the airfield and five were shot down. Nine more bombers attacked the airfield soon after, inflicting minor damage.

In the late afternoon dive-bombers from Guadalcanar again struck at the force ot enemy cruisers and destroyers northward of Florida. One bomb hit was reported on an enemy cruiser. Army Fiying Fortresses struck at the same force ten minutes later and scored two bomb hits on an enemy light cruiser, which was left burning and dead in the water. Enemy fighters were active over the American positions periodically all day but Gruman Wildcats are reported to have destroyed 17 of these planes.