Henderson daily dispatch., 1942-08-18
First Step
To.Viictorv
For Allies
Navy Com munique
and Dispatch From
MacArthur's Head
quarters Give Broad
Picture of Great South
Sea Offensive.

General MacArthur'S Head
Quarters. Australia, Aug. Is
(AP)-lnitrd States Marines
nave wen solid tocholdS in the
Solomon islands, the first step
I" victory in the first allied oil
ienSIvc in the Pacific. while al
lied alrmcn comb the southern
seas 10 blast the Japanese in
their ships and harbor$ where
ever they may be trying To 90 to
the rescue.
That was the broad picture
today over thousands OF square
miles of the south Pacific where
the Fighting forces of the United
Nations have begun To roll back
the enemy in campaign of
growing magnitude.
IL was the official story of the
United States Navy and of Gen
cral MacArthur'S headquarters.
~ Navy CommunIquc issued in
Washington today showed the attack
mighty onslaught, which caught the
japanese ila!:ootcd on August
(AustraIla tjmc) in the Guadalcanal-
TulagI area. one of their most valu-
able bases.
The Earbor oil TUlagi is one Of the
best IN the southwest Pacific and the
airiicld OF Guadalcancl makes that
island gigantic aircraft carrier an
chOrcd athWart the sea lane from
America to Australia.
Without dIvulGing details of tho
still continuing and still growing bat
tie, the communquc gave these as
suranccs that the first phase has
ended in defeat for the Japanese in
the air. ashore and afloat:
|. The Marines have made
several landings in the Guadal-
canaI-Tulagi area. rapidly"
overcoming enemy resistance.
and their captured shore posi-
lions have since been develop
cd and are now well establish
cd"
,. Japanese naval forces closed
in for action with the allied fleet
on only one night. August 80.
and backed off before reaching
the vessels engaged in the land
ing operations"
3. Enemy air attacks on the
first two days of the landings
inflicted only minor damage" OH
the American troops.
The COmmuniquc mentioned dam.
age 10 both sides in the naval en-
counter but il kept the enemy guess.
ing. OF course. as TO both what TN,
United States lost and what tn,
United States knows of Japan'S COS
in trying to defend the SolomOnS.
It's only figure was at least 81
Japanese planes destroyed. 10 o
them ScaplancS demolished bcfOr
they could get into action and full,
as many more land planes knocked
out in the vain attempt To stem tn,
Marines rush ashore from trans
ports.
CThc Navy previously had an
nounced that one United State
cruiser was sunk. and that tx,
cruisers. two dcstroycrS and on
'
information. that the clOSC-quartc
sea battle lasted but one night anC
ended in the enemy fleets failure &
reach its quarry. however. cvidcntl,
exposed as false the Tokyo claim
of some 40 United Nations ships SUM
or damaged)
Airmen of General Macarthur
command. meanwhile. secured In
Japanese-hcld harborS III the Solltl
sea islands close enough to the Solo
mons TO reinforce their impcrilc,
garrison.
A communiquc today said that al
lied planes on offensive rcconnaiS
Sance bombed shipping in the por
Of kavieng. on the island of New
ireland. but that the results wcr'
unobServcd New ireland is north
west Of the Solomons in anothe
link of the island chain at the tol
Of the Coral sea.
- ------- .---=aH.=--