Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-22


lat, 81, lived at HIP Sixteenth
street NV. before enlisting. The
account mentions action OF ma
rines under command OF 1t. Col.
William, McKelDey, also of Wash
inqton.)
By LIT. HERBERT L. MERILLAT,
U. s. Marine Combat Correspondent.
ALCANAL, Solomon
Islands, October "a DelayeO Ma
rines have hurled back the first de-
termined Japanese push in the en-
emy's new counter-offensive against
the American-held Guadalcanal air
drome area.
Last night nine enemy tanks tried
to force a crossing of the sandbar
at the mouth of the Matanikau
River to break through the Ameri-
can lines four miles west of the
main runway. All nine were de-
stroyed in the seven-hour night
battle.
Anti-tank guns and carrier
mounted artillery knocked out the
Jap tanks one by one as they made
their rush. while American artillery
laid down deadly barrage against
Jap infantry massed behind the
tank spearhead.
Yesterday was a good day for the
American forces on Guadalcanal.
Our fighter pilots destroyed 20
Zeros and one bomber without the
loss OF a single American pilot. It
was the biggest bag of the Wanted
Zero fighters that our pilots so far
have to their credit.
Artilley Fire Increases.
With this air victory to cheer US,
some gathered in the hour before
sunset yesterday to play cribbage.
Jap artillery had fired intermit-
tently throughout the day, popping
shells at various points inside our
lines. Our artillery had been re-
turning the fire-with interest.
We had grown so accustomed to
the booming of guns that we
scarcely noticed the distant rumble
from the direction Of the Matani-
kau River. As it persisted, how
ever, we decided to investigate.
Headquarters presented busy
scene. Officers hurried by. 'It looks
like this is the night" one said.
1t was the night-the first of many
nights of fighting which will come
as the struggle for Henderson Field
continues.
During the two previous nights
the Japs had felt out our defensive
lines at the mouth of the Matani-
kau. On the night of October 81
they had sent tanks up, the coastal
road, but they were driven back from
the west side of the river by heavy
concentrations laid down by our
artillery. One enemy tank was
knocked out.
Last night at o'clock the big
push started. First the Japs brought
every variety of fire to bear on the
east bank of the Matanikau at the
rivers mouth. A 6-inch gun, field
artillery, heavy mortars, and ma
chine guns, all concentrated on that
sector. warned of an impending
charge.
Japs Feint Before Attack.
The Marines holding the line at
that point, under the command of
1t. Col. William McKelvey of Wash
ington, D. c., could see Jap tanks
milling about the other side of. the
river. Immediately our artillery re-
piled with a heavy barrage, blast
ing the area from the river to Point
Cruz, some 1850 yards to the west.
Dive bombers took the air and
bombed the enemy lines. Marines
at the front could hear the screams
Of Japanese as the bombs and shells
crashed among them.
The Japs soon tented against
our line about 500 yards up the
river. 1t appeared they might try
to cross the muddy Matanikau at
that point, but the strong attack
developed at the 50-yard sandbar
which closes the rivers outlet to
the sea.
Shortly after dusk, the first tank
charge came. In the evening haze
the Marine defenders could see a
tank rumbling eastward on the
coast road. Then another dashed
out from a concealed jungle track
to the southeast and across the spit.
Before it could be stopped. it over
ran a machine-gun position on the
right bank, then stopped dead as it
hit post.
Tank Runs Into Sea.
A carrier-mounted gun quickly
swung into position and shot a hole
through the stricken tank, but its
motor was still running. A hand
grenade wrecked the treads on one
side. Then the tank turned on
full power, went into reverse and
ran 20 yards into the sea, where it
was knocked out of commission.
The battle grew hot as the Japs
pushed more and more tanks to-
ward the spit. The toll of Jap
tanks mounted as they tried four
times to cross the bar and blast
path for infantry. BY midnight
nine of them were knocked out by
artillery and anti-tank guns and
lay disabled on the sand bar or in
the water. Jap infantry never sue
ceeded in forcing crossing of the
sandspit.
About midnight there was an
other flare up at the bend of the
river, 500 yards from its mouth. A
few Japs infiltrated through our
lines but were mopped up in the
morning. Some tried to cross by
a rope which Marine patrols had put
across the rivers mouth as a guide
line for rubber boats, but were
picked off by Marine machine gun
ners.
After midnight the fighting died
down. A rain squat which had
cloaked the battlefield in darkness
passed over and a brilliant moon
lighted the scene. Dawn found the
Marine defenses at the rivers
mouth undented. A quiet day-that
is, relatively quiet day as days
60 here-followed.