Evening star., 1942-08-13
Jap Navy Control Of Tu|agi Harbor
In So|omons Reported Broken as
Marines Consolidate Positions
Allies Sold to Have
Air Superiority
Over Lond, Sea
Ey the Associated Press.


today to have won the first round
in the 7-day-old battle Of the
Solomon Islands, beating off
furious japanese counterattacks
at three invasion beachheads in
the 900-mile-long island chain.
The Yorkshire CEngland> Post S
naval correspondent said the Jap
anese fleet has lost control of Tu-
lagi Harbor."
The japanese fleet has not got
back there after the naval action
and apparently is being kept clear
of the island on which the land
tngs were made" the correspondent
wrote
THE Allies have air superiority
and are using it at sea as well as
on land" the newspapers CORE
spondent continued
He gave no indication of where
he had received his information.
Tulagi Harbor is one of the finest
naval base sites in the Southwest
Pacific.
Jap Hold Believed Broken.
A correspondent Of the Australian
Broadcasting Commission said it
was believed that the marines,
strongly reinforced. had broken the
Japanese hold on the Tulagi area.
The Japanese have been driven
from many of their defensive posi-
tions after fierce hand-to-hand
fighting" the correspondent said.
Another Australian broadcast said
Hard and confused fighting is still
in progress among the rubber PLAN
tations on the high plateau of Ko-
koda" in New Guinea, where the
Japanese attempted an overland
drive on Port Moresby.
Had fighting in which many Jap
anese were killed and wounded was
said to have taken place during the
past four days.
Consolidating Positions.
A United States Navy communi-
aue yesterday said the marines, firm
ly entrenched after six days of vio-
lent hand-to- hand fighting, were
now consolidating their positions.
Supporting naval forces are en-
gagged in bitter fighting the Navy
said
The communique did not specify
whether the enemy was bringing up
warship reinforcements or using
nd-based aircraft to bolster the
defense of their ground forces. How
ever, Allied reconnaissance showed
a squirt in enemy shipping activity
around Rabaul, New Britain, major
base for japanese troops and sup
plies moving to the SolomonS.
The marines battled to expand
their positions with the Immediate
backing of Allied sea forces and
long-range air assaults on japanese
communications and reinforcement
bases.
There was an unconfirmed Aus
tralian report that American para
chute troops had been used as shock
forces.
A spokesman in Australia, asked
for comment, said only that he
never knew of such troops being
landed from ship-based aircraft be-
fore.
Six Days of Savage Combat.
The Navy announcement that op-
erations had advanced to the point
where the Leathernecks were con-
solidating their holdings in the Tu-
lagi area, in the Southeastern Sol
ONIONS. indicated that initial lane
opposition had been overcome after
six days of savage hand-to-hanc
combat.
The communique said the ma
rines landed as scheduled on three
islands. whose name it did not dis
close, in the Tulagi vicinity. II
added that supporting naval craft
were meeting with bitter opposition
suggesting that the japanese hae
thrown powerful surface and all
units into the defense OF then
ground forces.
Flying ForuesSeS. striking yeSter
DAY al Rabaul in the fifth ral(
there in five days. knocked out foul
enemy ships in the harbor of thl
base from which Japanese troop
and supplies have moved to th'
SolomonS.
A l5,000-ton ship and two me
dunn sized ones were left spoutlni
flames and another large ship wa
seen sinking by the stern, a com
munioue issued at United State
headquarters in Australia said today
One of eight challenging fighter
was shot down and from three to 81
others were hit and damaged. No
a single Allied bomber was lost.
Jap Bases, Ships Attacked.
Allied airmen went to work o
shipping at Rabaul after concen
trating their previous raids TIL
week on the big japanese airdrom
there which undoubtedly had bee
sending air aid to the SolomonS.
Some 1000 miles west of the Sole
mons Allied airmen attacked jar
anese shipping and base installa
tions in the Dutch Timor Band
Sea area with undetermined result
The raid off Timor was believed
have been on the same convoy frol
Continued on Page A-10, Col. l.