SITUATION IN SOLOMONS REVIEWED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 22 October 1942, Page 5

SITUATION IN SOLOMONS REVIEWED

Sydney, Oct. 2 1 - Further damage to the Japanese fleet in northern Solomons waters and the enemy airfield at Buin is believed to have been caused in a raid by medium bombers of General MacArthur’s command early on Wednesday morning. The raid was on a smaller scale than the earlier attacks by Flying Fortresses. Reconnaissance has shown enemy ships beached and still smoking from the big attacks on Sunday morning. I he factor of supply is engaging the increasing attention of news analysts reviewing the situation in the Solomons. The ability to maintain a flow of naval and air reinforcements will decide the outcome of the battle and mastery of the South Pacific, declares the American commentator, Raymond Gram Swing, who sees the opposing land forces on Guadalcanar as cast in a minor role in the struggle.

“It remains to be seen how much naval strength each side is able to bring into play,” he says. “We can derive satisfaction from the statement that in daylight on Saturday our naval forces bombarded Japanese shore positions while enemy ships shelled our positions at nightThis shows we have not lost mastery of the *seas around the islands as some had feared—otherwise we would be doing night shelling and the enemy day shelling.” Mr Swing points out that equality in naval losses up-to-date should prove an eventual advantage, “but this is proving difficult”, he says, “presumably due to lack of aircraft cover of suitable type, a deficiency which must be somewhat paralysing to Rear-Admiral Ghormley’s naval forces.” Most commentators concede that the number of troops on Guadalcanar is of secondary importance to the United States, who can replace losses more rapidly than the enemy. In a dispatch from Pearl Harbour the London “News Chronicle correspondent Patrick Maitland, also emphasises that the battle for Guadalcanar will depend on the ability of the United States Navy to get supplies through to the marines and to the air and naval strengths. The commander of the United Marine Corps in the Pacific says: “My ooys will keep their toehold in the Solomons till hell freezes if they get proper air and sea support.”—P.A. Special Australian Correspondent.