The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-10-13
Cruisers
CONTINUED from Page II

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saved.
The Navy said it was imposs
sible to determine what losses
were suffered by the japanese
force of cruisers and destroyers.
But, the communique added that
1.-The enemy withdrew to the
northwest without attempting an
attack on our transports and sup
ply ships"
The conflict opened as the al
lied cruisers stood guard over
the landing of supplies and ad-
ditional troops on the bases seiz-
ed by u. S. Marines on Aug. 8
and 8. Enemy planes dropped
flares over the landing opera
tons and the Japanese ships,
skirting the south coast of Savo
Island between Tulagi and Quad
alcanal, opened up with guns
and torpedoes.
The enemy headed for the sup
ply ships. The Canberra, cover
ing the landing operations at this
point was damaged, set afire and
later abandoned. She sank the
next morning. After this brief
engagement, the enemy steamed
for the passage northeast of
Savo. There, Japanese search
lights and starshells disclosed a
second screening force of de-
stroyers and crui; ers.
1.-THE enemy fire was heavy
and accurate" the Navy said,
land the u. S. cruisers Quincy
and Vincennes were hit repeat
eddy and sank during the night"
BURNS THROUGH NIGHT
Badly damaged in the same en-
gagement, the Astoria burned
throughout the night and finally
sank. A third United States
force, stationed within the land
ing area, apparently escaped the
attack, and while the cost was
heavy, the necessary reinforce
ments and supplies reached their
goal.
The Importance of the Sol
onions operations was emphasiz-,
ed by the Navy in a communi-
que disclosing that the United
Nations have established bases
in the New Hebrides, and Fiji
Islands, as we'll as in New Cal
edonia.
The Japanese expansion in the
Solomons, the Navy said, would
have threatened these bases
along with the United States
lines to Australia and
New Zealand. The enemy's ap-
parent intention to control air
and sea, it added, also would
have put them in a position to
strike at the Port Darwin naval
base and other strategic Austral-
ian sites.
1T was necessary, therefore,"
the Navy asserted, that these
designs of the enemy be blocked
by our capturing and utilizing
the key positions in the south
eastern Solomons. This was
acknowledged on Aug. 7 when
U. S. forces surprised and cap
tured japanese positions = ."
LOSSES HINTED
Extent of the American in
vasion losses was limited in
Navy comuniques from the be-
ginning. On Aug. 8 and 8, the
Navy declared considerable
enemy resistance" was encount-
cred and naval spokesman eau
toned the nation that casualties
in such an offensive were neces-
sarily high.
On Aug. II, a communique
said mo further statement is
made at this time of the damage
to our forces because of the OBJ
vious value of such information
to the enemy" But the latest
communique announced:
1.-THE loss of these four cruis-
ers has now been offset by the
appropriate reallocation of ships
which is made possible by new
construction"
On the second Pacific war
front to the west of the Solomons,
General Douglas MacArthur's
Australian headquarters an
nounced that allied forces were
battling back the Japanese in
New Guinea and had advanced
10 about IL miles south of the
enemy's advance base at Koko-
Ia. Allied bomber and fighter
planes blasted at the enemy
supply line to Kokoda from
Buna on the islands north
shore.
Of the three lost cruisers, the
Astoria had normal compile
nent of 40 officers and $50 en-
listed men, and the Quincy and
he Vincennes, As officers and
IL