Evening star., 1942-08-22
Marines Hold SoIomons Gains,
Wi ping Out Jap Force Of 700;
Destroy Gilberts SeopIone Base
Maj. james Roosevelt
Second in Command
In Maxim Ruid
By WALTER b. CLAUSEN,


c2-United States Marines stood
fast in their hard-won positions
in the Solomon Islands today
d after wiping out 700-man Japa-
nese force which tried a stealthy
night landing to pierce the
American lines.
Other marines and American
bluej jackets, with Maj, James Roose
welt. the Presidents eldest son, one
of their leaders, destroyed Japa =
nese seaplane base in an extension
of the United States offensive to
Maxim Island, in the Gilbert group,
$500 miles northeast of the Ameri-
can-held Solomons.
Commnuiques issued by Admiral
Chester w. Nimitz, commander of
the United States Pacific Fleet, told
of the f1are-up of fighting in which
the enemy was surprised and des-
troyed
In first detailed accounts of the
Solomon Islands fighting, where the
marines, with Navy covering force,
captured japanese positions and
sent the enemy fleeing into hills and
iungles, Admiral Nimitz related the
destruction of the Japanese force
700 Japanese Landed.
Mopping-up operations, with daily
skirmishes between marine patrols
and enemy detachments, have been
in progress since the initial marine
landings on the night Of August Z,
the communique said
But last Wednesday night TOO
well-equipped Japanese landed from
high-speed boats outside the ma
rines' lines, on an unnamed island,
and attempted break through.
During the darkness only hand
to-hand fighting was possible" the
communique said, but with the
breaking Of day the marines were
able to maneuver While one bat
talon held the front line another
battalion moved to flank and drove
the then withdrawing japanese to
the beach.
The action continued until late
afternoon. OF the TOO japanese,
$40 are dead, the rest prisoners.
Marine losses were % killed and p
wounded"
Marines in the Solomons, COM
manded by Maj Gen. Alexander A.
Vandegrift, U. S. M c., thus added
another page to their history of out
standing achievement the COM
munique noted.
Enemy Unit Wiped Out.
The communique also told of a
marine patrol and japanese de-
tachment in the Solomons last Wed
nesday, in which the Americans lost
only 6 killed and 13 wounded while
wlping out the enemy unit of 90
officers and men, who continued re-
sistance until the last man was
killed"
Maj. Roosevelt, who in November.
1910. left film producing In Holly
wood for active service in the Marine
Corps, was second in command of
the Devil Dog detachment which
raided Maxim Island August II. The
commander was 1t Col. Evans F.
Carlson, while Comdr. John w.
Haines, U. S. NJ, directed the entire
operation which was covered by
feet units.
Admiral NimitZ said the marines
made a successful landing and ac-
complished their objective of de-
stroying seaplane installations. Fol-
lowing the action, the force with
drew, the admiral said, giving a
different version than the Toxic
radio which broadcast that a land
ing force Of about 200 Americans
''had been repulsed."
? known enemy losses inflicted by
the marines are at least 80 japanese
killed, radio installations and stores
destroyed and one large and one
small seaplane destroyed on the
water" the communique said.
Japs Hit by Own Bombs.
Losses were suffered by the enemy
In heavy bombing attacks dealt by
their own confused aircraft which
arrived from other bases to assist
their beleaguered countrymen.
Ships of our expedition gunneo
and sank one small transport anc
one gunboat," the communique
said. Considering the nature ol
this operation our forces suffered
only moderate loses"
Neither Maj. Roosevelt nor either
of the other two officers in charge
of the raid was on the casualty list
Admiral Nimitz said.
= The surprise raid indicated tha
American forces are seeking ou
Japanese bases and strong points or
some of the hundreds of enemy -helc
islands in the South Pacific area
for continuous stepping stone
offensive against the japanese.
Maxim Island is the most northerl,
island of the British owned Gilber
group. and is one of the bases at
tackled last January when an Ameri
can naval task force struck in tn,
Gilbert and Marshall Islands.