American Success In Solomons Protects

South Pacific

Clearer Picture of Events in Tulagi Area

(A Broadcast Address on October 15, by R. W. Robson , Editor of “PIM '”)

WHILE Australian public attention has naturally been focussed upon the operations in New Guinea, a struggle of vital import to the safety of Australia and of all freedom-loving com munities in the South Pacific has been proceeding in the Solomon Islands.

These operations, which have been going on since the first week of August, necessarily have been kept secret. There is no desire to blindfold the public—but an intelligent public must realise that the highest authorities, from whom must come the official communiques and the only reliable news, dare not make announcements which may give informa tion to the enemy.

And Mr. Tojo, of Tokio, whose plans of Pacific conquest have gone so sadly awry, dearly would like to know what the American command thinks about the situation in the Solomons. That is be cause the Japanese thrust down through the Solomons, which probably was de signed to reach right into the heart of the South Pacific, and destroy communi cations between America and Australia, is of very considerable importance to Mr.

Tojo—maybe of greater importance than the operations in north-east Papua.

For many weeks, the news filtering through from the Solomons was confus ing and inconclusive. All we knew was that there had been bitter fighting, In which both sides had suffered severe naval losses, and that the American forces had re-captured from the enemy the important region of which Tulagi is the centre. But recently the authorities have been able to issue communioues from which it is oossible to construct a fairlv reliable outline of the operations to date.

THE Japanese completely occupied Tulagi, in the middle of the south ern Solomons, about May 4. They evidently had surveyed this region long ago, and recognised its great natural strength—for the rapidity with which they put into operation plans for the development of a powerful fortified advanced base was startling.

Tulagi is a little island lying close to the coast of Gela, a fairly large island.

Between Tulagi and Gela there is deep, sheltered water —the port of Tulagi.

Tulagi, and Gela. and a lot of little islands, lie sheltered between the two large, mountainous islands of Guadal canal (to the south-west) and Malaita (to the north-east). We know now that, between May 4 and the end of July, the Japs, working feverishly, established a seaplane base at Tulagi, partly estab lished a naval base there, established for tified points, with heavy guns, on Tulagi Island and on the headlands and other little islands round about, constructed an airfield on the fairly flat coastal fringe of Guadalcanal, within sight of Tulagi. and established an outer ring of military strong-posts on Guadalcanal, Gela and Malaita.

Extending from this fortified zone of Tulagi. up through the Solomon Islands, right back to Rabaul, the enemy had a line of naval and air bases through which he could conveniently send supplies and reinforcements to Tulagi. Beyond any doubt, Tulagi was to be the point from which other South Pacific territories (probably including Australia and New Zealand) could be attacked and Austra lian-American communications disrupted.

That was why the American command decided that before anything else could be done in the South Pacific this dan gerous rats’ nest must be cleaned out. rAT the American command did not under-estimate the difficulty of the task, and the strength which the Japanese had developed in and around Tulagi, was shown by the thoroughness and the secrecy of American prepara tions. Assisted by important Australian naval units, American naval and air forces, suddenly launched a very power ful attack upon the Tulagi area at dawn on Friday, August 7, and took the Jap anese completely by surprise. Fighting of an exceedingly bitter description took place during Friday, the 7th, and Satur day, the Bth; but, by Saturday evening, the enemy’s Tulagi organisation had been smashed, the United States marines had seized most of his key positions in the Tulagi and Guadalcanal area, and transports were unloading additional troops, supplies and equipment.

The Japanese appear to have made sporadic counter-attacks with planes and troops, on Friday and Saturday, but their real attempt to destroy the Allied enter prise with an overwhelming counter-blow came on the night of Saturday, August 8.

Large numbers of our transports and light naval ships lay in the sheltered waters around Tulagi, between Gela and Guadalcanal. They were guarded by American and Australian warships, dis posed across the sheltered waters to the north-west, between the northern ends of the islands of Guadalcanal and Gela.

Japanese aircraft came over after mid night and released many flares, which illuminated the whole area, including the transport flotilla in and near Tulagi.

Simultaneously, powerful forces of Jap anese warships attacked at great speed, and there ensued a naval battle which apparently continued until daylight.

The Japanese clearly were trying to break into the sheltered waters between Tulagi and Guadalcanal, where the most valuable part of the American expedi

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defeated, and at daylight they cleared tionary force was lying. They were away towards their sub-bases in the Northern Solomons, to the north-west.

Allied losses were severe and included the Australian cruiser “Canberra” (10,000 tons), and three American cruisers, Quincy, Vincennes and Astoria, each of about the same tonnage. The Japanese also suffered considerable losses—but, owing to the confused nature of the fight ing in the darkness, details are not known.

THE effective occupation of the Tulagi area by American forces continued during the next few days, while the Japanese land forces, which had been thrust back into the jungles of the larger islands, and Japanese planes which ap parently came from bases on Malaita and the larger Solomon Islands to the north westwards, counter-attacked savagely at all hours of the day and night. There were reports of another naval battle hav ing occurred about the 14th or 15th, but we have had no authentic news of any thing important.

It seems clear that whenever the Japanese sent in naval or air forces in daylight, Americans from the Tulagi and Guadalcanal positions went out to meet them, and generally broke up the enemy formations and drove them away. So the enemy became cautious about day-time raids, but he sent in, practically every night, considerable land reinforcements to help the Japanese still in the jungles of the larger islands around Tulagi. These Japanese seem to have attacked with the same fanaticism as their brothers in the New Guinea jungles. On one occasion 700 of them, who had just been landed from speed boats at night, came screaming down upon a force of United States marines, and, although they were trapped and shot to pieces, they would not sur render until 670 had been killed.

A fortnight later, the Japs were ready for another supreme effort to recapture Tulagi. On August 23rd they sent a powerful air force against the Americans on Guadalcanal. They failed and lost 31 planes. On August 24th, a powerful force of Jap cruisers, destroyers and transports —believed to be part of a big Japanese fleet in the vicinity—came in from the north, past the northern end of Malaita, but they were met by American aircraft before they got near Tulagi and retired, after apparently losing half a dozen ships, including a cruiser. The Jap air force again attacked Guadalcanal on August 25, and was driven away with the loss of 12 planes.

Since then, six weeks have passed, and the Japanese appear to have attacked almost daily with small harassing forces of naval and aircraft. About September 15 and September 20 they made major attacks with warships and planes, which

were beaten off. Then apparently they concentrated on night landings of troops on the remoter coasts of the big islands, for infiltration through the jungles against the Americans. But on the night of October 11 (last Sunday) the Americans caught them at this, and sank a couple of cruisers and some smaller vessels.

Admiral Nimitz, American Commander-

in-Chief, expresses confidence that the Americans can at least hold their gains in the Solomons; and a survey of all that has happened there suggests that that is, if anything, an under-statement. I think that Australia, whose future is vitally bound up with it all, has no reason for dissatisfaction with what has happened or is happening in the Solomons.

Of particular interest at present is this old photograph of the old American Station at Butaritari, Northern Gilbert Islands. Robert Louis Steven son lived in a house near this spot. Butaritari is now in the occupation of the Japanese— they landed there on Decem ber 8.