Cheap at the Price

U.S. planes ranged over Japanese bases in the northern Solomons. Presumably they took off from hard-won Guadalcanal. Apparently their effort was to immobilize other Jap bases, as they had Munda, with assault by air.

Last week's announcements told of stout Jap resistance, particularly around Shortland Island, 300 miles northwest of Guadalcanal. In a raid on shipping at nearby Buin, U.S. bombers encountered 45 Zeros. In a raid on the same area the following day, eleven Zeros, two U.S. bombers, six U.S. fighters were shot down. Later that week, low-flying bombers had to duck through strong ack-ack fire to score direct hits on four Jap cargo ships.

Guadalcanal had been costly to take.* To capitalize on Guadalcanal was going to be costly too, but worth the price if air assault can neutralize Jap bases, save the expense and delay of occupation by sea and land forces.

* The Navy brought the toll up to date with an announcement of losses between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4. U.S.: the twelve-year-old 9,050-ton cruiser Chicago, the destroyer De Haven, three PT boats, 22 planes; Japan: two destroyers, four more probably sunk, 60 planes, plus eight more probables.

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