Evening star., 1942-08-12
Allied Planes Strike Jops Anew
In Support Of Marines Battling
To Expond SoIomons Position
Heodwoy Indicated
As Silence Shrouds
Progress Of Fight
~ TIE Associated Press.

y ths Associated Press.
Jungle hardened American ma
rines battled on today in bitter
hand-to-hand clashes to broaden
hard-won toeholds In the Solo,
mon Islands while supporting
Allied airmen struck effective
new blows on japanese bases and
shipping along a 3,000-odd mile
front.
The London Star said that ere
ports suggest" United States Marine
landing parties in the Solomon
Islands "have been strengthened
and are making some progress.
The paper said the Marines, who
are believed to have tanks and land
ing barges and special types of ar
tillery, still hold bridgeheads they
established Friday and Saturday"
The Leathernecks progress was
hidden in official silence, but the
latest information here was that
operations were continuing in the
area OF Tulagi, palm dotted, two
mile-long island in the southeastern
Soiomons.
More definite word was not ex-
pected until let-up in the opera
tions permits Vice Admiral Robert
Lee Ghormley, Allied commander in
the South Pacific who is in charge
of the offensive, to send detailed
account over his now limited and
overtaxed communications.
Japs Battered in Aleutians.
There was no fresh word of opera
tions in the Aleutian Islands. The
Navy announced last night that a
relentless series of air attacks and
a single bombardment by naval
task force there have badly battered
Japanese land installations and re-
suited in the sinking of one enemy
cargo ship and damaging of two
others.
These attacks raised the price
Japan has had to pay for occupa-
ton of the three western islands
to 81 ships sunk or damaged.
The bombardment by cruisers and
destroyers-first of its kind in the
North Pacific-so surprised the Japs
that they responded to the first
shells with anti-aircraft fire. 1t
was carried out Saturday simultane-
ously with initial attacks on Japa-
nese forces in the Solomon Islands,
more than 1000 miles to the south
west. s.|
The Navy communique, dealing
primarily with a review of Aleutian
actions, had. little to say OF the vio-'
lent fighting for possession of the
Tulagi area of the Solomons ex-
cept that it was continuing.
Nothing further can be reported
ct this moment. the Navy declared.
Ship Collisions Reported.
"A Toxic broadcast, quoting Capt.
shoichi Kamada. Japanese naval
spokesman at Shanghai, persisted in
the fiction that the Solomons battle
was over and termed 1t a one-night
encounter.
The broadcast pictured the sea
battle of the 900-mile chain of
islands as having been fought at
such close quarters that United
States and Japanese warships actu-
ally collided. ..
Capt. Kamada was quoted as de-
claring the outcome was defeat
for United States forces-a version
in sharp conflict with Mondays an
nouncement by Admiral Ernest j.
King, commander in chief OF the
United States Navy, and later word
from Washington and Australia.
The spokesman said the defeat"
resulted from the poor training of
American forces for night fighting.
Hint Of Headway Seen.
The Nays statement that the
Marines landing on the shores of
Tulagi Island in the Solomons had
Opened the doors to an Allied Of
fensive in the South Pacific" was
taken to mean that the land, sea
and air assault which began five
days ago was making headway.
A correspondent of the Australian
Broadcasting Commission reported
from an advanced Allied base that
there is a general feeling that our
forces are still making progress to-
ward their objective-that is, the
occupation of the islands in the
Tulagi area"
The correspondent said UNITED
States Marines and other shock
troops" apparently were firmly es-
tablished in their counter invasion
footholds.
Gen. MacArthur's headquarters
still silent on the main operation
told of the fourth air attack within
as many days on Rabaul. biz
Japanese base on New Britain: de-
struction of two and possibly fiv'
(See SOLOMONS, Page A-4)