Show Nip Resistance Ceases As Barges Remove Pressed Enemy Units Nipponese Invest I Men in Solomons Failure WASHINGTON Feb 9 UP UP- UP The Japanese invested more than an estimated men plus planes and a considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able fleet of ships in their futile desperate campaign to recapture Guadalcanal from the American amphibious force which invaded the southeastern Solomons last August 7 The count of American losses is not anywhere near as complete as that of the Japanese based on reports in navy but the principal American investment so far In the victorious effort to hold Guadalcanal has been 28 ships lost including the aircraft carriers Wasp and Hornet I In addition to the men killed in ground air and sea fighting th the Japs according to accounts of in information information information in- in formation thus far released by the navy lost planes in combat and 57 ships sunk seven probably sunk and damaged The estimate of more than 50 men was based on the reported loss of at least troops in inthe inthe inthe the big November mid-November sea battle of Guadalcanal plus about killed or captured only captured only a few were ap llred ld fighting on Guad ilus' ilus Iu an 1 estimated or more lost In Tn In the sinking smIting of tf various s ships exclusive of the troop transports blasted to pieces in November mid in aerial erial combat and in raids raids' by American bombers on Japanese bases in the Solomons area The Japanese vessels sunk in include include in- in clude elude at least one battleship and many heavy cruisers and those damaged or probably sunk include at least one aircraft carrier The American victory at Guadalcanal Guadalcanal Guadal Guadal- canal taken in conjunction with the recent triumph of the MacArthur MacArthur MacArthur Mac- Mac Arthur forces in northeastern New Guinea could mark the turnIng turning turning turn turn- ing point of the war in the southwest southwest southwest south south- west Pacific and means among among- other things that if the Japanese try to menace major bases guarding guarding guarding guard guard- ing the supply line to Australia they must risk dangerous fleet losses Offensively it still remains to be seen what use American forces will make of the southeastern Solomons base other than for bombing such enemy installations as those in the Buin uin area of Bougainville Bougainville Bou Bou- gai gainville island in the the northwest northwest northwest- em ern Solomons and the big base at on New Britain island The base from which the Japa- Japa Continued on Page Two Column Seven f i Japan Invests Troops In failure at Guadalcanal d from front Page One nese may continue to pound Guadal Guadalcanal Guad Quad al anal by air most readily is lo located located located lo- lo in the Munda area of Now Georgia Island In the central Solomons Solomons Solomons Solo Solo- mons about miles northwest of Guadalcanal air field and it may be that the first major attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt of the American forces once they have completed mopping up oper operations on Guadalcanal will be beto beto beto to reduce Munda completely This would almost certainly involve the use uso of ot sea and land as well wen as air forces An aerial campaign against Munda which has continued with almost daily dally attacks for two months has so far failed to stop enemy operations from that base Deciding Incident The incident which p pro probably r o b a b 1 Y sealed the fate of Japanese forces on Guadalcanal came In mid No vember wh when n the Japanese dispatched dispatched dispatched dis dis- dis- dis patched a huge armada from the northwestern Solomons including their harbors at New Britain a and a d Islands to attack t the theair theair h a air field by sea and to land on the island ground forces of overwhelming overwhelm overwhelm- ing strength This resulted In a three-day three battie battle bat bat- t- t tIe tle with American task forces and air forces in which the Japanese armada was completely smashed Such troops as did get ashore from beached transport and cargo ships apparently landed without supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies or arms and were more of ot ofa ofa ota a drain on than a help to the enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my forces already ashore From the time that American troops invaded Guadalcanal until the November mid-November battle t the Ii e American beachhead had been a aVery avery avery very small area of land surrounding surround surround- ing the air field field and and nd much of the time the field was within artillery range It was was was' thus pounded by shell fire as well wen as aerial bombardment bombardment bom born and occasional bombardment bombardment bombardment bombard bombard- ment from Japanese warships but despite this continual harassment new flight strips were ins installed tan ed the complement of ot planes in increased increased increased in- in creased and reinforcements a and n d munitions steadily poured in to the island from American bases to the south and southeast After the November Vict sea army forces b began gan to ir In considerable numbers number to mont ment and p eventually te replace marine u units on the island bland is increasing patrol actiVity 1 p pr the tho main Japanese forces gs stet backward toward the north tip of the island t This period of operatic J I by the evacuation oft 1 Japanese troops was m marked ot of f It the most part by a lack of K J Ja Janese nese sea and air activity been very heavy up to 21 NOTt bet bet- 15 I |