Solomons

Second Battle of the Solomons Japs Launch Heavy Attacks From September 12-15

ON the night of Saturday, September 12, the Japanese, using reinforced infantry, aircraft and warships, commenced a heavy attack in an attempt to recapture, from the Americans, the sections of Guadalcanal which the Ameri cans took from the Japanese in August. (See “First Battle of Solomons,” on page 24.) The Japanese have directed their prin cipal effort towards the recapture of the airfield, which the Japanese constructed, and which the Americans appear to have been using very effectively as a base against Japanese-held positions in Gizo, Faisi, the coast of Ysabel, and even as far north as Bougainville.

On the night of the 12th, Jap surface vessels shelled American positions, and there was considerable fighting. On the 13th, two flights of about 28 bombers each, supported by fighters, attacked the Guadalcanal airfield; and four bombers and four fighters were destroyed.

On the night of the 13th, the American positions were again shelled by surface craft, and American troops became heav ily engaged with Japanese land forces who tried to capture the airfield. The Japanese were defeated.

On the 14th, another flight of 28 bomb ers, with fighters, attacked Guadalcanal, and the Americans shot down one bomber and five fighters.

The Japs, in this fighting, lost 21 planes in five days.

The battle was still going on on the 15th, with the Americans still holding their positions.

Press messages from Hawaii, on Sep tember 16, expressed the view that a naval battle, on a major scale, is immi nent in the Solomons region.