Evening star., 1942-10-29
Japs Mass Near American Bases
In New Hebrides and Fiji Islands;
Nazis Gain in New Caucasus Drive
New Enemy Move
lmperiIs Allied
Lines to Australia
1y the Associated Press.

~ tne Associated Press.
American and Japanese forces
squared of today for another
furious round in the spreading
fight for the Solomons after a
series Of terrific land battles bled
the enemy heavily of men and
equipment. 49,.
While United States air and
ground forces fought savagely to
hold the Guadalcanal airbase, the
battle Of the Southwest Pacific ap-
peared to be surging outward 400
miles east of the turbulent islands.
Superior numbers of enemy ships,
planes and men were reported IN
Pearl Harbor dispatches as mooiliz-
ing at the approaches to American
bases in the New Hebrides and FIJI
Islands, whence they could strike at
Allied communication lines to Aus
tralia.
Secretary of War Stimson told his
press conference today that the de-
cision to launch the American op-
erations in the Solomons, which be-
gan. In early August, was made by
the joint United States chiefs of
staffs in accordance with agreed
upon plans and was not purely a
naval decision"
The Navy reported no new details
Of warship activities in the Pacific
last night, but Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur's Allied bombers from Aus
tralia raided the enemy again, DAM
aging two japanese ships in the Ra-
baul Harbor of New Britain and
splashing the japanese base at Buka
in the Northern Solomons with ex-
plosives.
Jap Warship Hit at Rabaul.
One of the bomb hits # Rabaul,
more than 600 miles northwest OF
Guadalcanal, caused an explosion
on. warship, Gen. MacArthurs
communique asserted today (Aus-
tralian time), and another set an
unidentified vessel af1re. The as
sault on Buka's airdrome and build
ings destroyed an enemy bomber on
the ground and started fires visible
80 miles away.
Meantime, Australian ground.
troops in New Guinea continued to
press the Japanese back toward their
north coast invasion base, further
thwarting the invaders efforts to
move on to the Allied Port Moresby
base.
Allied headquarters said the Aus
sizes. striking across the Owen STAN
ley Mountains, had forced the enc
my northward along the main trail
to positions in the vicinity of Alola,"
and that stubborn fighting against
isolated Japanese detachments and
strong points was continuing. Thus
the Allied troops were within eight
miles of Kokoda, midway point
across the waist of the island.
The Navy gave no indication that
a decision was near in the Solomons
struggle. The all-out assault which
started October % had tapered by
Tuesday to what the Navy communi-
que termed "small-scale thrusts"
at the American positions on Gau-
dalcanal.
Jap Losses Exceed Ours.
These enemy attacks, like the more
savage japanese thrusts preceding
them, were thrown back and the
Navy, describing the results on the
land fighting, observed:
Enemy losses in men and equip
ment in troop actions on the island
since October % have been very
heavy as compared to our own"
TN London Reuters said it had
recorded q Toxic broadcast
beamed to Guadalcanal and tell
ing United States troops further
resistance was useless since the
crushing defeat" which the Jap
anese claimed to have inflicted on
=. United States naval forces in the
Solomons areaD
While both sides appeared to be
getting their second wind in the
Solomons, naval observers kept
concerned eye on the waters north
of the Santa Cruz Islands where
American planes torpedoed a jap
anese plane carrier Monday night
and bombed cruiser.
The enemy naval concentrations
In the entire area were regarded as
heavy and United States Navy quar-
ters voiced expectation that another
major sea battle might flare up at
opy l,p,1r