Evening star., 1943-07-07
Shore Batteries
Fail 10 Return
Americans Fire
Helena Is Revealed
As Cruiser Lostin
KuIu Gulf Battle
By the Associated Press,

49, 'iic ENoSoSloecu TESS.
An American naval task force
bombarded the japanese base on
Kiska Island last night, the Navy
announced today, in an attack
apparently co-ordinated with the
United States offensive against
japanese defenses in the South
Pacific.
The report of the attack on Kiska
was very brief, 1t said only that
the enemy was bombarded there
and that the japanese shore bat
teries did not return the fire"
A quick check of previous war bull
letlns found no record of a surface
attack later than last August 7.
The Navy communique also dis
closed that the American cruiser
lost in battle with japanese forces
in Kula Gulf yesterday morning was
the 9.700-ton light cruiser Helena.
The Helena was under command
of Capt. Charles Purcell Cecil of
Louisville, KY. Neither the fate of
the skipper nor the safety of InGi-
Vldual crew members was reported.
The next of kin of the casualties
aboard the Helena will be notified
as soon as possible" the Navy said.
Damaged at Pearl Harbor.
The cruiser, which had been dam
aged at Pearl Harbor and was re-
stored to service during the first u
months of war in the Pacific, was
the only announced American loss
IN the battle. in which six japanese
ships were probably sunk" and sew
eral others, presumably four or more.
were damaged
A communique from Gen Douglas
MacArthur's headquarters last night
had numbered the damaged ships
as four, but todays Navy COM
munique said only that there were
several"
Using the Macarthur figure, Japa-
nese naval ship casualties of all
types, including sunk or damaged,
now total 315 and the enemy has
suffered an additional loss of 338
-combatant ships. The compa-
rable American figure for combatant
ships, including the Helena, is 103
vessels overdue and presumed lost.
destroyed to prevent capture or
sunk. Figures on American ships
damaged are not available in their
entirety.
Jap Bases Bombed,
Today's Navy communique mads
clear that American planes were
pounding out a steady rain of de-
struction over Japans South Pacific
bases as part of the general offensive
which began a week ago today.
The communiQue, No 436. said.
South Pacific: (All dates are
east longitude
Il. On July 4, a formation OF
Army Flying Fortresses (Boeing
BID heavy bombers, bombed the
Bairoko Harbor area, west coast of
New Georgia Island.
y. On the early afternoon q,
July 5, l6 Army Warhawk (Curtiss
P-40) fighters intercepted about 40
enemy Zero fighters over Rendova
Island. Two Zeros were DESTROYED.
One Warhawk was lost but the pilot
was rescued.
g. During the early morning sur
face engagement of July 6 when six
Japanese ships were probably sunk
and several damaged, the light
cruiser U. S. S. Helena was sunk
The next of kin of the casualties
aboard the Helena will be notified
as soon as possible.
Two Sectors Raided.
q. During the evening of july &.
"(A) A formation of ARMY
Liberator consolidated B-24l heavy
bombers attacked Kahili and started
several fires.
"tB) During the same evening.
a formation of Army Liberators
bombed Buka Island. A number Of
fires as a result of the bombing
were observed.
North Pacific:
IS On the evening of July 6. a
United States surface task force
bombarded Kiska. Enemy shore
batteries did not return the fire"
Speculation was that the enemy
shore batteries did not reply be-
cause they did not wish to disclose
their positions accurately. There
remained, of course, the possibility
that most Of them were knocked out
by the accuracy of shells from the
American warships.
A check showed that the first two
items in the communique-the
Bairoko and Rendova air actions
were the same as those announced
Monday night by Gen MacArthur's