The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-08-26
Japanese Are Trying
 To Protect Control
Continued from Page D

Since they landed Aug. 2, the Marines had had nearly three weeks to consolidate their positions and communiques had revealed that they were receiving endorsements and supplies.
 It was evident, however, that in addition to opposition from the Japanese on the islands. whom they had driven inland into the hills, the Marines might still have to fight a defensive battle against new enemy achievements.
 Beat Of Attacks
 Adm. Chester w. Nimitz, con- manding the Pacific fleet, had an- nounced the beating off of one rein- forcement attempt by Japanese troops who on the night of Aug. 20 landed men from speed boats. In that engagement the Japanese landed 700 men. The Marines killed 670 and took the remaining 30 prisoners.
 It was noted that the Navy's con- munique on the new, big battle said that the Japanese approached the Southern SolomonS from the north east.
 Making island at the north end of the Gilberts, where on Aug. IT the Marines and the Navy smashed one of the big Japanese bases in the South Seas in a perfectly exe- cuted one day operation, is about 1850 miles northeast of the Tulagi- Guadalcanal area.
 CThis made it seem possible that the Japanese fleet had steamed first from Caroline Islands bases toward the Gilberts, in the belief that the Navy and Marines were making an invasion attack there. After the American raid of Aug. IT a fleet of Japanese planes heavily bombed their own men, believing they were Americans)
 Planes of Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur's southwest Pacific con- mand, which does not include the Solomons, attacked 8 small Japan csc convoy yesterday off the Tro- briand Islands, 60 miles north of tke Tulagi area of the Solomons and 2l0 miles east of the new Jap- anese base in New Guinea, in the Buna- Coma area.
 Washington Satisfied
 Washington, Aug. 26 = (UP) - American naval and air forces ap- peared today to have made progress in their effort to stem an all-out Japanese effort to retake those of the Solomon Islands wrested from them by U. s. Marines.
 The Japanese apparently already had suffered comparatively heavy losses, but it was too early to fore cast the outcome of the struggle. There was no overnight word from the battle area.
 Japanese losses since the battle began last Sunday stood at: two aircraft carriers hit, one large one; a batleship damaged along with several" cruisers; and a trans port and cruiser bombed and left burning fiercely."
 In addition, at least 21 enemy planes were shot down. The battle so far appears to have been con- fined largely to air action. In this respect, it is following the pattern of the battles of Midway and the Coral Sea.
 The presence of battleships and aircraft carriers in the attacking force was accepted as evidnece that the enemy is making an all-out bid to recapture the Strategically im- portant islands.
 Failure to retake them would deprive the Japanese of bases from which they could harass the Allied suppl. lines to Australia and New Zealand. Also it would endanger the Japanese Hanks, and their bases in the Caroline Islands.
 The enemy may consider the op- eration sufficiently important to risk heavy losses.
 One factor stood out in the pre- liminary report of the engagement that the American Air Forces had the upper hand. Whether this advantage can be extended depend ed on how badly damaged the two bombed Japanese aircraft carriers were.
 Already Lost Control
 London, Aug. 26-UP)-The Lon- don Star reported from Sydney to- day that reports from the Solomon Islands battle show very clearly that Japan has finally lost maya supremacy in the southwest Pacific
 The Star reported that 1t would be assumed that the main fleets o both the United States and Japar are massing for a decisive show down in the Eolomcns area.
 The battle, 1t suggested, may b' "so big that the future may show I to have been another Jutland."
 The Star asserted that Allied div bomberS and torpedo bomberS arr playing an important role in the Sei conflict and that Japanese lossel thus far indicate they no longer vii be able to carry out any decisiv'