Evening star., 1942-12-06
Continued From Page B-3)

that they could not disturb Australia or
the supply line to Australia. The United
States landed troops in New Caledonia,
New Hebrides and the Fiji Islands
archipeligoes along the supply route
Then the naval forces went after the
Solomon Islands, where the Japs had
installed themselves in the late days of
their great winter spring drive.
| The fight for the So1omons was the
| tonic the United States wanted. Midway
was sort of Verdun victory-a they
| shall-not- pass business The United
| States capture of Solomons' Tulagi
anchorage and Guadalcanal Island in
August meant that an attack had been
undertaken with success. 1t was a
turning point in the war.
On August II the United States routed
such of the japanese fleet as was in the
Solomons region. For the next six
weeks Japan made preparations to re-
turn to the Solomons. She stabilized
her positions in China. After having
taken three islands in the Aleutians, she
withdrew from all abut one of them,
Kiska. Her whole attention was CEN
tered on the Australian supply line.
In Papua her troops smeared them
selves with green paint and did the i'm
possible-crossed the Owen Stanley
Range of mountains and progressed
toward Papua's southern shore and it's
Port Moresby-point of embarkation in
ship or plane for Australia. They never
quite reached the port.
Gather in Solomons.
Jap ships filtered down through the
islands to the Solomons regions. Trans
ports were fitted up at Rabaul, New
Britain for the sally against the marines
holding Gaudalcanal Island and the
airport which the Japs had built and
which the marines named Henderson
Field. A great battle was impending.
Vice Admiral Ghormley made ready
his fleet for the defense of the Solomons
A mishap in mid-September left him
weakened when the carrier Wasp was
sent down by a submarine torpedo. The
marines on Guadalcanal were reinforced
by soldiers sent over from Gen. Mac
Arthur's command in Australia under
the direction of Maj. Gen. Millard F.
Harmon of the Air Forces.
The Jap armada hove in sight of the
Solomons the night of October Is Some
OF the transports made their way to
Gaudalcanal and landed troops as rein
forcements for the survivors of the 1900
that had been there when the Marines
took control of the Henderson Field
area in August. For a month the battle
ragged.
Round one was indecisive. The United
States lost an unnamed carrier and the
destroyers O'Brien and Meredith while
1t established supremacy in the air.
Such is the background of one of the
greatest Of naval battles since the be-
ginning Of history. The American COM
mander in the Solomons was a bold,
brave admiral-Wiliam F. Halsey, jr.,
who had supplanted Vice Admiral
Ghormley. The American strategists
had seen to it that he had the stuff to
make the fight. When it was over the
Japs had left beaten. Twenty eight of
their ships were at the seas bottom,
battleship, battleship or heavy
cruiser, six heavy cruisers, two light
cruisers, six destroyers and II transports
or cargo ships.
A Great Victory.
The great engagement began the night
Of Thursday, November IL. The next
| night the Japanese in confusion fired
at each other In the darkness of the
third night Rear Admiral w. A. Lee,
| Jr, undertook battleship action against
the enemy. 1t cost the Japs battle
ship, three heavy cruisers, one destroyer
and damaged one battleship.
Here was an old-style sea engagement
in which ships slugged it out with s'..ps.
| The airplane that meant so much in the
Coral Sea and at Midway played minor
role in Halsey's great triumph, which
cost the United States only two light
cruisers and six destroyers. On Papua
Gen. Macarthur followed through after
the Solomons victory. His men in turn
pushed over the Owen Stanley Range
and at Pearl Harbor's anniversary they
| are threatening to dislodge the Japs
from their last corner of Papua, Buna.
! After Buna it is suggested that New
Britain might be wrested back from the
Japs. The tide which overwhelmed
the Allies for eight months in the Orient
is being turned slowly back. In time
it will drown Japan.
~