Evening star., 1942-09-08
SoIomons
Continued From First Page J

tCOnCl1ueo from F1rSt Page.)
dated island bases to the north
Nipponese submarines, too, hav.
shelled the island at night. Ths
Navy termed the shelling "inef.
fectual" and declared the bombing.
failed to cause serious damage.
Despite these attacks which ex.
acted "a heavy toll of enemy
planes" the communique added, the
American forces have continued te
land supplies and reinforcement,
for the marines who captured the
Guadalcanal-Tulagi area August 7
Shore positions also have beer
strengthened and the Guadalcanal
airf1eld developed. ssz-s -ssssa.ussssssz
Twenty-six bombers and 20 Zeros
made the latest attack but Ameri-
can fighters shot down three
bombers and one fighter, the Navy
said.
Referring to the previously an
nounced sinkings of the United
States destroyer Blue and the small
transport Colhoun, the Navy added
that the losses occurred as a result
of operations necessary to the
supply OF our shore bases in the
Guadalcanal-Tulagi area"
The text of the Navys communi-
que follows:
South Pacific Gall dates given
are East Longitude:
Il. Since the capture by United
States forces of the Guadalcanal-
Tulagi area of the Solomon Islands
on August 7, supplies and rein
forcements have been landed and
the development of our shore posi-
tions and airfield on Guadalcanal
has been steadily pressed.
q. These operations have beer
opposed by enemy aircraft and sub
marines and have not been accom-
plished without some cost. The
United States destroyer Blue ano
the small transport Colhoun, whose
sinkings were announced in Com
munique No. 119, were lost as a re-
suit of operations necessary to the
supply of our shore bases in the
Guadalcanal-T -Tulagi area.
Shore Installations Attacked.
"3 Land based bombers, sup
ported by fighters, have attacked
our positions on numerous occa-
sions, but in no instance has the
damage to shore installations been
serious. Our Grumman Wildcats
and Avengers" at Guadalcanal all
field have intercepted these attacks
and have exacted a heavy toll OF
enemy planes. Enemy submarines
have also been active in this area
and on several occasions have inef-
fectually shelled our positions at
night.
"A. Our air patrols have sighted
and attacked several small enemy
detachments attempting landings on
Guaoalcanal and nearby islands. On
September our Grumman fighters
and Douglas "Dauntless" dive bomb
ers attacked landing party near
San Jorge Island about IS miles
northwest of the airfield at Guadal-
canal. Loaded landing barges were
strafed, causing heavy loss of life
Many of the small enemy vessels en-
gagged in this operation were sunk
IS. On September the air patrol
sighted another landing party near
the western end of Guadalcanal. Our
air patrol and Curtiss Army pursuit
planes sank three of the landing
boats, damaged several others anc
killed a large number of troops ir
these boats.
IS. 1t is believed that these land
ings have been attempted in order
to reinforce isolated japanese pa
trolls which withdrew to the noun.
tains and jungles in the uninhabiteo
regions of the island when our force.
occupied the defended positions. Oul
Marine forces are continuing theil
| efforts to search out and dispose o.
these scattered enemy units.