Evening star., 1942-10-13
Mccain
Continued From First Page.

made two trips to Guadalcanal and
be said there were evidences that
the japanese actually were declin-
ing in aerial strength in the Sol
: onions area.
In this evidence, he said, were
facts as to the types of planes they
were using and the speed with which
they were making requirements.
Admiral Mccain declared some of
r the biplane seaplanes the enemy
used never would have been used
there unless they were entirely re-
gardless of human life or were run
ming short of equipment.
He said that during a raid on
September II several japanese
bombers and fighters were shot down
and that examination of parts of
these planes showed they were "ab-
solutely new" and had just come
from the assembly lines. He said
the lacquer covering looked as if
it had been put on only few hours
before and that rubber gaskets
which deteriorate quickly in the
tropics were not at all worn or
cracked.
These things might indicate that
the enemy is getting short of planes
there" Admiral Mccain said. but
if l were down there I wouldn't
count on it."
Tribute Paid to Towers.
Admiral Mccain replaced Admiral
yolo 7 oh aF of Dr.,
reau of Aeronautics. Admiral Tow
erS went to the Pacific as command
= er of the Fleet Air Force.
Admiral Mccain said there were
two standards by which the work of
an air bureau chief should be meas
ured: ID Efficiency of equipment
and t2) training of pilots. Ex-
cellency in the air, he commented
: was a combination of those two
things.
1t was in evidence of the success
Admiral Towers had achieved that
Admiral Mccain cited the 5-to-l
ratio existing between the japanese
and American pilots in the Guadal-
canal zone August 21-September IT
Il hope to do as we'll as Admira
Towers Admiral Mccain added.
Giving an analysis of the Japa.
nese losses he said they consisted
of So Zero land planes. four Zero
seaplanes, SO Mitsubishi twin-engine
bombers, 10 biplane seaplanes,
four -engine patrol boat and
twin-engine Focke-Wulf. He hao
=, no further information about the
Focke- Wulf, which is German
design.
No Better Pilots, He Says.
= Admiral Mccain was in charge OF
scouting and striking force Of
Allied craft in the Southwest Pa
cific which operated in conjunction
with carrier based forces, but die
not include carriers.
.. He said he had in the area Army
Navy and Marine Corps and New
Zealand pilots.
There are men as good as oul
pilots, but none better" Admira
Mccain said,
The New Zealanders. he said, art
"frst-class fighting men and only
awaiting planes
AS for common effort, regardless
of service, Admiral Mccain re
marked that from the island o
Noumea in the Hebrides northwarc
."all hands are in the same ditch
working toward common end anc
who uses what tools is immaterial.
-. Asked about the effectiveness o
American attacks on japanese base
in the Northwestern Solomons, Ad
smiral Mccain reported that the en-
emy's seaplane base at Rekata Ba.
on Santa Isabel Island had, h
thought, been made untenable ant
he said he knew definitely that tn
enemy base at Gizo had been rem
.:dered untenable. Those two hav
..-been the most frequently attacked
of all japanese bases in the Sol
omans. Admiral Mccain said Bit
s(Army Flying Fortresses) "strafet
them right out of there"
No Heavy Units Landed.
In response to questions abou
whether the Japanese had been abl'
ITO land heavy reinforcements OF
particularly artiller.
units, Admiral Mccain said tina
they had put nothing heavy il
there up to the time I left"
They did succeed on one occasion
In getting four pieces of light ar
-,tillery. ashore one night, he con
.tinued, but the marines captured
Those the next morning. He de-
sSlared that within the period of hi
activity there mo artillery had beer
used by the Japanese on Guadal
canal"
Admiral Mccain left the South
rest Pacific September 20.
41c