Evening star., 1942-09-17
Planes Batter Enemy
= In. AIeutiun and
Solomon >IsIonds
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
Renewed American aerial as
saults on Japanese invaders in
the Aleutian and Solomon Is
lands left the enemy today with
q loss Of two. ships, damage to
five others and three submarines
and 500 troop casualties.
In the Southwest Pacific where
Marines hammered down 4 third
'Nipponese attempt to regain Quad
alcanai territory, the Navy reported
that Marine and Navy aircraft
bombed and torpedoed enemy ships
south of Choiseul Island and DAM
aged two cruisers. $500.
Almost simultaneously, the Navy
and Pacific Fleet headquarters told
OF striking savage new blows in the
Aleutians far to the north where
Army planes sank two Japanese
mine sweepers, damaged three sub.
marines, three large cargo ships and
s"severa' small craft" j killed or
wounded an estimated 500 troops,
shot down six planes and nred store.
houses and supply dumps.
~ Two Planes. Collide.
The big Aleutians raid. centerins
about Kiska Harbor occurred Nom
day, the Navy Disclosed yesterday in
the frst report on that area since
August ~ when an American sub.
marine sank m enemy merchant
man. A Pacific Fleet headquarters
communique said the action oc-
Cured Tuesday, but both agreed on
all substantial facts.
Bell Airacobras and P-3ss. on
their first such mission In the Aleu-
tians, escorted Army heavy bomb
ers, Consolidated Liberators. on the
assault without loss except for two
P-SS Eishtninss which collided over
xiska.
Enemy resistance with fighter
planes and antl-aircraft fire was
weak. enabling American forces to
carry out what Pacific Fleet head
Quarters termed d most successful
attack" Four Zero fighters and one
small plane were brought down and
4 large japanese patrol plane was
sraaShed while on the water.
Marines Held On to Base,
!. !. At the other end of, the far-fluns
Pacific battle theater, the Marines
still clung to their Guadaleanal base
as the Navy announced that the in.
tensity Of the fighting had de-
creased. Marine patrols; neanvhiie
stnl sought to drive enemy units
from the interior OF the island.
A japanese cruiser and DESTROYER
force was spotted yesterday o6
Choiseul, the Navy said, by Navy
and Marine pevastator dive bomb
ers and Navy. Grumman Avenser
torpedo planes. One Of the cruisers
was damaged by 4 bomb and the
otner BY . torpedo In the action
about 400 miles northwest of Quad
,alcanal.
A day earlier, the communioue
added, Z bombing attack by two
Boeing Flying Fortresses set shore
instanations. aiire At the Japanese
base on. Rekata Bay about 40 miles
northwest Of the American Gaudal-
canal airfleld. !
The hits scored on the two cruisers
boosted the toll on enemy shin
ping IN the Solomons to more than
= score sunk or damaged. In the
Aleutians, the japanese have had
81 ships lost or damaged to date
as 4 result OF the latest United
States air attack.
Landed In AieutiaAs in June.
The japanese landed in the Aleu-
tians early In June, coincident. with
their move to invade the Hawaiian
Islands, which. scrllmpled with the
battle 81 Midway island Into ! I
major japanese disaster.
While omcial ststements have in
dicated thats some 10000 Japanese
had landed in the Aleutians,, moth
Ing has been reported since Their
ar attack on Dutch Harbor in June
to indicate, that. they had ver,tured
any attack IN the direction Of Alaska
from their AleutiAn toefold.
A naval interview, granted here
several weeks ago, told Of difficult
terrain and storm conditions in the
Aleutians area and pointed oat that
any attempt to build air fields on
Kiska or Attu would require dyna-
mitins and would be 4 tremendous
task. .-'
There have been no reports to in
dicAte the enemy has been able to
develop areas held In the Aleutians
Tor the. use Of land biased craft, n
though it Is apparent the japanese
positions are useable Is a base for
submarines or sea based planes.
Whethsr ensmy landings In those
islands were primarily as, 4 safe
Guard against attack by American
forces, or as q springboard for an
attack on the Pacific Coast, has not
been revealed