ENEMY ADVANTAGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1942, Page 4

ENEMY ADVANTAGES

IN SOLOMON ISLANDS BATTLE

DISCUSSED BY BRITISH NEWSPAPER.

USE OF LAND-BASED PLANES

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY. April 11. “Japan’s soldiers have shown themselves masters of fighting in the tropics. No one can imagine that the expulsion of these stolid fighters from the very many positions they have seized will be either quick or easy," the “Manchester Guardian” observes in dis-

cussing the battle in the Solomons. “The battle is to the enemy’s advantage,” the newspaper states, “because he is fighting from land, while the Allies had to begin from transports. The Japanese are reported to have built air bases on Guadalcanaland these will be stocked with defensive bombers. Japan’s aim will be to send reinforcements to these basest and the Allies are attempting to destroy them before they can take off from New Guinea or New Britain. “How successful we have been with our carrier-based planes against the land-based Japanese planes we do not yet know,” the newspaper continues, “but it is remarkable that in the long list of successes claimed by Japan no mention is made of any Allied air-craft-carrier being hit, although these ships, in the background, would have been the first targets.” AMERICAN MARINES FIGHTING IN SOLOMONS. SPECIALLY-TRAINED TROOPS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) RUGBY, August 11. United States marines were engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with the Japanese in the Solomons, according to a Washington message. The men now in action have been given intensive training in jungle warfare and amphibious operations, as a preparation for attacks on Japanese-occupied islands. Another report states that the Marines. in close co-operation with other American forces, opened the door for the Allied offensive in the South Pacific. The latest reports indicate that the Americans have gained some success in the face of strong Japanese counterattacks. TANKS AT TULAGI PROGRESS OF THE AMERICAN ASSAULT. USE OF FLYING FORTRESSES. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 1.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. lire San Francisco radio said this morning that American forces have landed tanks in the Tulagi area of the Solomons, where bridgeheads have been established. Flying Fortresses are helping to cover the American assault. The New York radio says United States marines are now exerting all their efforts to improve their position. CAUTIOUS ESTIMATE OF RESULTS IN SOLOMONS. MADE BY CORRESPONDENTS IN CLOSE TOUCH. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 1.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The Japanese convoy attacked south of Timor by Allied bombers on Monday is believed to have been on its way to the Solomons sector with reinforcements. There is no suggestion, however, that any large-scale movement of enemy troops was involved. One of the cargo vessels damaged was of about 4,000 tons and a smaller vessel, probably sunk, was of about 1,500 tons. Australian and American airmen taking part in the raid report having seen Japanese abandoning the ships. American war correspondents in Australia and on the Solomons operations are more cautious in assessing the value of the offensive than are observers in the United States. The New York “Herald-Tribune” representative here warns that it would be foolish to believe that the Japanese will await the outcome of the Solomons battle before continuing their planned movements elsewhere. Unless the Allies get at the heart of their concentrations quickly, they may move at any time. A correspondent of the “New York Times” shares the same belief and states that, while the Japanese have suffered heavy air losses, they have replacements within reach and they may furthermore become sufficiently alarmed by the Solomons action to deflect there units of their major naval and aerial armadas. Although most American correspondents here take the view that the attack will result in greatly reducing the danger to ' Australia, a “Times” correspondent remarks: “Except for the enemy forces actually engaged in the Solomons battle, every other threat which the Japanese present remains the same as it did last week; and those threats are substantial.”