The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-08-15

forced to flee. crippled and burning
under a hail Of bombs and torpe-
does. The final score was at least
/ 20 Japanese ships sunk OF dam
aged, including four aircraft car
riers sent to the bottom and three
battleships damaged. II was ia
pans most Gripping loss In her
naval history up to that time. At
least 275 OF her planes were lost.
American losses were the carrier
Yorktown and a destroyer.
End Of Retreat
This was the end OF retreat In
the Pacific, and the Allies we're near
their low point In the war. Three
days later, on June 3. Hitler loosed
his drive from Kharkov for Stain
grad. and Is days later. on June 81,
Rommel in Africa suddenly turn
ed the tables on the British. cap
tured Tobruk and sped on to FL
Alamein within striking distance
OF Suez.
The time had now come to strike
the first real counterblow. II came
Aug. 7, 1912, at Guadalcanal, the
first Of the amphibious landings on
the way to Tokyo.
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz' Ma
riries under Maj. Gen. Alexander
A. Vandergrift took the japanese
completely by surprise and at FIRST
scored a brilliant success, seixing
the priced Henderson airfield and
the nearby Tulagi anchorage.
Result In Doubt
But for months the outcome OF
this struggle In the insectinfested
jungles remained in doubt. Not
until Feb. 9, 1913, was the island
finally secured. .
The Tokyo Express"-fast task
forces Of destroyers and other ships
ran supplies and reinforcements
down at night. Their submarines
prowled the waters, making them
unsafe for allied transports and
warships to remain of the island.
Their warships made night raids,
ripping the beach and scattering
death in the foxholes. Their bomb.
ers forced U. s. fighter squadrons
on Guadalcanal into q battle Of
exhaustion.
Naval engagements after naval
engagement was fought while the
Leathernecks held on grimly. On
the night of Aug. 8 Japanese
cruiser force caught Allied naval
forces of guard and In a spectacu-
lar night action Of Savo Island one
Australian and three American
cruisers were sunk.
There followed the naval engage.
ments OF the eastern Solomons. the
battle OF Cape Esperance and the
battle OF the Santa Cruz Islands In
which the Americans lost the vet.
eran carrier Hornet and a destroy
er.
In October the Japanese succeed.
ed In landing reinforcements and
in preparing to drive the Americans
into the sea. But American army
achievements also arrived at the
crisis. Adm. William F. (BulD Hal.
sey took command OF naval forces
In the area.
On the other side Of the world
Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower grea,
expedition was sailing from Eng
land and America for North Africa
Decisive Engagement
On Nov. 10, IA and Is the deci
sive battle, known as the battle Of
Guadalcanal, took place at sea. /.
was the greatest surface action
since the battle Of Jutland in the
first World War.
The Japanese sent three forces
OF warships and transports. with a
spearhead OF at least two battle
ships and 16 cruisers and destroy
ers in one column. This vanguard
was almost destroyed at night by
cruiser task force led by Rear
Adm. Daniel J. Callaghan. Callag'
han. matching his cruiser San
Francisco against one OF the battle.
ships, boldly thrust his little col.
umn in the midst Of the japanese.
Callaghan Lost his life but the Jap
anese were routed in the confus-
ion.
Either unaware OF the disaster
|
or unable to arrest their battle
plans, the other two japanese
sorces came on the next day and
night and ran into a similar massa'
ere. This time U. S. battleships
participated.
The final count was at least Is
Japanese ships sunk, including one
and possibly two battleships and
IL transports loaded with troops
Two American cruisers and six de-
stroyers were sunk.
In a last desperate effort the
japanese lost six more cruisers
and destroyers and three more
transports in q night fight two
weeks later. Another U. S. cruiser
went down.
Give Ground
But with their sea lines cut, and
reduced by starvation and disease,
the Japanese gave ground to fierce
ly attacking American troops on
the island, and finally announced
that the remnants had been with
drawn"
The battle cost Tokyo $4,000 men,
from 81 to 81 ships sunk, 102 ships
damaged and 800 planes.
The struggle also was costly Tor
the United States-28 ships, In
Guiding the carriers wasp and Hor-
net plus very heavy ground casual
ties.
on the day the Japanese dis.
closed their defeat on Guadalcanal
they also belatedly announced their
loss OF Buna In New Guinea.
Begins Comeback .
| Macarthur began his comeback
in New Guinea on Sept. rs, when
the Japanese were within 81 miles