Evening star., 1942-11-16
Busy Correspondents Covering GuodoIcono|
Learn Quiet Never Lasts Lonq on Island

~ -S0 ~ - -Su1N
morning (Tuesday). Shortly after
noon % enemy bombers dropped
bombs on the beach. Damage to our
supplies was nominal but three OF
our men were killed and three
wounded. Fifteen bombers got
through. later in the afternoon.
The action had only begun. Hear
ing loud explosion up the beach
We dashed in that direction to in
vestigate. A minute later we had
our first concrete proof that the
enemy had managed to land artillery
on Guadalcanal
There was faint triple "pop," a
crescendo triple whistle" then a
crashing explosion. Shrapnel banged
all around. During a lull in the fir
Ing, we dashed out to a jeep for a
wild ride back to the press club. u
We learned another Jap battery had
been throwing shells in the direc-
ton OF our airfield. most of them
landing harmlessly in the jungle.
After a hurried supper, the press
contingent conferred on the DAYS
happenings. There was a notice.
able tendency on the part of all
hands to linger in the general vi
clnity Of the air-raid shelter. AS
things turned out, it wasn't such a
bad idea.
Shortly after dusk we went
through the first of a night-l long
series OF single plane raids. Some
times no bombs were dropped, some
times one or two big ones, and
sometimes flock Of small anti-per-
sonnel bombs. From the standpoint
OF destructiveness they weren't verv
ef1eetive, but they kept US jumping
IN and out of dugouts
Flare Signals Naval Smelling.
Shortly before midnight, when
things seemed to quiet down a little,
we climbed into our hunks and fell
into deep sleep despite our nervous
tension. We sprawled under our
mosquito nets completely clothed
including shoes.
At Ito am. Wednesday, an enemy
plane, circling over Henderson Field,
dropped a white parachute flare
that signaled the beginning of the
longest, most intense, naval shelling
we have ever experienced here.
The air-raid sirens wall tore our
sleep into shredS. We scrambled
madly for dugout. Then there was
absolute silence for several minutes.
Our ears seemed to pull away from
our heads trying to pick up the least
scrap Of sound
Then came the last individually
identiflable noise we were to hear
for two solid hours-the express
train roar of salvo of heavy shells
coming our way. After the burst of
those first shells, the situation passed
beyond the power of description. 1t
is impossible to recreate, even in
ones own mind, the physical and
mental sensation OF those two hours.
Jap cruisers and destroyers were
cruising back and forth in the chan
mel throwing salvo after salvo at
Henderson Field and the rest of the
area occupied by our forces. Mean
while, an enemy battleship pumped
14-inch shells at us while enemy
planes overhead dropped large and
small bombs everywhere.
The shelling ended shortly after
3 am, but the bombing raids con-
tinued until past am, Wednesday.
When dawn broke, we climbed a
ridge overlooking the airport, antici-
pating view of something akin to
the aftermath of an inferno, sur
pris;ngly, 1t wasn't so bad.
Alerts Start Before Breakfast.
The days series of air 'alerts"
began before breakfast. All morn
ing long. Zero fighters strafed the
airport and engaged our flyers in
dogf1ghts overhead. Several enemy
planes were bagged before lunch
time.
At midmorning we had our first
mass bombing attack of the day.
twenty-five high flying Jap bombers
dropped their cargo on the airfield.
Our fighters were only able to knock
down two bombers. But we bettered
the score when the enemy made a
second attack couple of hours
later. Fifteen dive bombers ap-
peared, but only six Of them sur
vived.
Except for occasional shells 1obbed
our way Wednesday afternoon and
evening, things were fairly quiet. At
2 am. Thursday Jap ships gave us
another pounding but it didn't mean
much. We knew they were on the
way because our air force had made
contact with a sizable enemy con-
voy, sinking one large transport and
damaging destroyer.
The shelling lasted only an hour.
There weren't any 14-inch shells
thrown at us principally because one
American bomber had landed 500
pound bomb directly on Nip bat
tie wagon during the days raid.
A trek to the airport that morning
showed few more craters but not
much else to indicate that Jap naval
forces had been shelling our shore
positions.
When we returned to the press
club" We heard report that five
enemy transports. protected by de-
stroyers, were ut anchor few hum
dred yards OF the beach above Point
kruz unloading troops and supplies.
Bombers Break Up Jap Landings.
We couldn't believe the report be-
cause the Japs always meak Ii and
unload at night. But there they
were-big as life and twics - mat
ural making the kind e9 landing