Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
Destroyers
Bad|yDamaged
By Navy Bombs
7 American Aircraft
Lost; Troops Advance
On GuuduIconuI
BY CLAUDE A. MAHONEY.

American forces in the Solo,
mons have shot down 80 Japa-
neSe planes and damaged three
deStroyers and a cargo ship at a
cost of seven American planes,
the Navy reported in a commu-
nique today.
The action, one of the heaviest
recently reported in the Solomons
area, occurred on Friday (Solomons
time). Our planes made repeated
attacks on several groups of de-
stroyers, some of which we're APP
preaching Guadalcanal Although
the possibility of duplication of
reports has not been definitely ruled
out, naval observers believed that
at least 19 enemy destroyers we're
attacked
The communique also reported
bombing OF American positions on
Guadalcanal. with some casualties
to our forces. No damage was done
to American installations, however.
Against stiff enemy resistance"
the communique said, our ground
forces on Guadalcanal also contin-
ued to advance, gains of from 5000
to 1000 yards being recorded. Aerial
forces bombed Japanese positions at
Lunda and Serum Village, miles
east of the Japanese airf1eld on the
southern end of Buka Island.
Plane Attacks Destroyers.
The series of attacks began early
Friday when Consolidated Cata-
lima reconnaissance plane attacked
group of five japanese destroyers
16 miles northeast of the Russell
Islands, One direct hit and two
near hits damaged one of the enemy
craft, which was left burning.
Later in the morning a force
of Douglas Dauntless dive bombers
escorted by Grammar wildcats
and q Bell Airacobra fighters att
tackled nine japanese destroyers 100
miles northwest of Lunga Point on
Guadalcanal. Eight of the IL
enemy Zeros that rose to intercept
this attack were shot down. One
Of our dive bombers was forced
down and five of our fighters failed
to return.
In this engagement the dive
bombers pressed home the attack
and seriously damaged two of the
enemy destroyers."
Also, during the morning a lone
American plane patrolling the vicin-
ity of Guadalcanal shot down three
Zeros During the afternoon Boz
ing Flying FortresSes, accompanied
by Lightnings, Airacobras and war
hawk ships, attacked five enemy
deStroyerS 81 miles southeast of
Faisi, in the Shorthand Island area.
No hits were scored on enemy YES
sells, but IL foat-type biplanes which
attempted to intercept the attack
were shot down. No United States
planes were lost in this engagement.
Ship Left Burning.
Evidently determined to make it
full day, fighter planes protected
a force of dive bombers for an eve
ming attack on an enemy cargo ship
81 miles northwest of Lunda. Two
direct hits and four near hits were
scored, and the ship was left burn
ing. Our fighters shot down seven
zeroS. One United States fighter
failed to return from this action.
The japanese losses in the en-
gagements reported today bring to a
total of 766 the number of enemy
planes shot down in the Solomons.
Naval observers would not hazard
any explanation of the appearance
OF the various destroyer groups in
the Solomons, but the presence of
so large number of Warships would
indicate that increased attempts to
retake Guadalcanal might have
been planned This was the first
communique for some time that
told Of bombings on Guadalcanal
by more than one plane at a time.
Earlier this week one plane
dropped bombs, and another had
visited the island a month earlier.
The Navy did not say how many
enemy planes came over in the
present raid.