They Came, They Saw

Reports of a major naval engagement in the South Pacific, current for the past three weeks, dissolved into a story of they came, they saw, they changed their minds.

Early this month U.S. warships in the Solomons were ordered to prepare for a knockdown, drag-out fight.

Actually all the Japs attempted was to intercept a convoy and to evacuate their own officers and technicians from Guadalcanal. The fighting consisted entirely of air attacks on surface vessels rather than warship slugging it out against warship. The heavy cruiser Chicago was damaged January 29 and sunk in a second attack the next day. An unnamed destroyer was sunk by dive bombers February 1. The Japs lost two destroyers sunk; four destroyers probably destroyed; six other destroyers, one corvette and two cargo ships damaged.

The main part of the big Jap fleet remained discreetly below the horizon, while Tokyo hinted at a great, running sea battle. The only explanation of why it never developed: the formidable appearance of the South Pacific fleet frightened the Japanese off. Said an official bulletin to the disappointed crew of a U.S. warship last week: "After finding out what they were up against, they withdrew."

At week's end the war became predominantly a war in the air. U.S. bombers ranged the whole South Pacific area, unloosed one of the greatest mass raids yet on Rabaul, Japan's biggest base in the southwest Pacific.

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