My copy of this paper is an original and is in bad shape and yellowed.
.........  indicates missing words of the article on the folds of the paper.
There are two pictures at the bottom of page.

St. Louis Globe-Democrat
Vol. 68 - No. 274 - Part One
St. Louis, Wednesday Morning, February 17, 1943
3 Sections-22 Pages

17 Japanese Ships Blasted, 2 U.S. Craft Sunk in Solomons
by Associated Press

Heavy Cruiser Chicago and Destroyer Lost

Washington, February 16.---Sea-air actions spread over a 10-day period cost the Japanese 17 ships sunk or damaged against the loss of two American vessels, the Navy reported today in communiqués which finally fathomed the mystery of the recent "vanishing battle of the Solomons."

The American ships lost were the 12-year-old Chicago, 9050-ton heavy cruiser, and an unidentified destroyer, the name of which was not given out because of the next kin of all the casualties have not yet been notified.   American losses also included 22 planes.

In the same 10-day period covered by the communiqués, beginning January 29, American troops were smashing all enemy resistance on Guadalcanal itself.

Hit While in Tow

Aerial torpedoes from Japanese planes first damaged the Chicago and the next day, while she was being towed to port, another plane attack sunk her.  The skipper, Capt. Ralph Otis Davis, 52, of Baltimore, and most of the crew survived.

The Japanese losses were two destroyers sunk, four probably sunk, eight damaged and a corvette and two cargo ships damaged.  The enemy suffered these blows in attacks by American planes, except for one engagement which was a fight between American torpedo boats and a Japanese destroyer.  Enemy losses included ..........

Today's first communiqué covered the seven days of January 29 through February 4 and told of the loss of the two American ships and the successful actions against 15 enemy vessels.

Zeros Destroyed

A second communiqué in late afternoon reported that Dauntless dive bombers in a February 7 attack on an enemy surface force near Rendove Island in the Central Solomons had scored hits on two destroyers.  The bombers with their fighter escort also knocked down two and possibly three Zero fighters which tried to protect the surface force.

This new communiqué likewise reported that two American air raids were made against the air base at Munda, New Guinea Island, February 15, while a raid on Kolombanger Island in the Munda area started fires.

But most interest in Naval circles devolved upon the actions of January 29 - February 4, for that was the period of which the Navy had said two weeks ago today that a "major effort" by the Japanese to retake Guadalcanal was "indicated."

Battle Vanished

This "major effort" report was first played down by Secretary Knox, who told a press conference that only skirmishing was in progress.  Subsequent communiqués told of "recurrent encounters" and "sporadic actions" and finally let the whole subject drop.  The battle simply vanished from public view as far as the official reports were concerned.

What actually happened, today's communiqué disclosed, was that the Japanese threw a formidable fleet, including battleships and aircraft carriers, into the 1000-mile stretch of water between their great base at Truck and the Northwestern Solomons.  This force was discovered by reconnaissance and the American high command decided that the Japanese might "accept a decisive battle."

Previous statements of American officials had made it rather certain that there was an American force in the southwest Pacific capable of engaging in such a fight.  The enemy fleet, however, did not continue it's original southern movement and presumably the American force was unwilling to challenge the enemy in his own waters, under his own aerial umbrella, at that time.

Threat lingered

The real battle developed between lighter forces, though the threat of decisive action hung over the 100,000-square mile Solomons area for several days.  When this failed to materialize, the Navy decided that the real Japanese purpose was to protect the evacuation of their troops from Guadalcanal (where United States troops were pressing forward to their final crushing of enemy resistance February 9) and to interfere as much as possible with delivery of American reinforcements.

To accomplish these purposes the Japanese relied upon destroyer and torpedo, dive bomber and fighter planes.  In the seven-day period, January 29 to February 4 inclusive, there were about a dozen engagements.  Nine were fought by planes against the ships, one was a destroyer-torpedo boat encounter and the others were air battles.

The losses inflicted on the enemy in these actions brought to 59 the cumulative total of his ships sunk in the Solomons area.  These include two battleships, 11 cruisers, 24 destroyers, 13 transports and nine cargo vessels.   In addition, 11 ships were probably sunk in the Solomons and 114 were damaged--a grand total of 184.

American Losses

Comparable American losses are 30 sunk--two aircraft carriers, seven cruisers, 14 destroyers, five transports, one cargo ship and one fleet tug.  The total of American ships damaged has not been announced.  Neither has the total of American aircraft losses, but it is reported to be far below that of the Japanese, which now stands at 874 planes destroyed in combat

The first action of the latest battle created one of the weirdest scenes ever recorded in the extraordinary amphibious warfare of the Southwest Pacific.  In the early evening on January 29 a transport convoy was moving northward to Guadalcanal.  While still 70 miles south of the island, in the vicinity of Rennell Island, a cruiser-destroyer force protecting the transports was attacked by torpedo planes.  The Japanese had dropped varicolored flares to illuminate the ships.   The roaring flame of ships' antiaircraft fire added to the spectacle.   Eyewitnesses have reported it was fantastic beyond belief.

The heavy cruiser Chicago, hit by torpedoes and severely damaged, was unable to proceed under her own power and controls.  Another cruiser took her in tow and later turned her over to a tug for towing to base.

Attack Followed Up

But as had happened last June to the aircraft carrier Yorktown in the Battle of Midway, the Japanese followed up their initial attack.   The next day 13 torpedo planes found the helpless Chicago.  American aircraft intercepted and shot down 12 of the 13 planes, but not before they ended the Chicago's 12-year career.  She went down about 200 to 300 miles form the spot where her sister ship, the Northhampton, sank in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands last October 26.

The attacks on the Chicago were but the first two of the dozen actions.  On Sunday, January 31, United States bombers and fighters bombed and set ablaze an enemy destroyer, corvette and large cargo vessel in Vella Gulf, about 190 miles northwest of Guadalcanal Airfield.  The three ships were left listing and dead in the water.

The next day American dive bombers, torpedo planes and fighters attacked four destroyers in the North Solomons and probably sank two of them, while a third was set afire.  Meanwhile American .......... on an unidentified .......... were attacked by 10 Zeros, .........two of their own number and shooting down two Zeros.  In air actions in the Guadalcanal area, 20 enemy planes were destroyed and 10 United States planes were lost.

Warship Discovered

That Afternoon, February 1, enemy dive bombers with Zero escort discovered an American destroyer between Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal and Savo Island.  They sank this vessel, the only American ship lost in all the heavy fighting other than the Chicago.

The night of February 1-2, about 20 enemy destroyers approached Guadalcanal, presumably bent on removing Japanese officers and some troops from the island.  United States motor torpedo boats intercepted and sank one destroyer and probably two others.  Three of the little boats were lost.

Bright and early the next day, Dauntless dive bombers and Avenger torpedo planes took off for the Central Solomons, a Japanese base area, where they attacked 16 enemy destroyers northeast of Kolombangara.  One destroyer was hit by one bomb, and another suffered a near hit.  Antiaircraft fire damaged one of the Avengers.

The evening of February 2, Flying Fortresses with Lightning and Warhawk fighter escort blasted a large enemy cargo ship at the enemy base area at Shortland Island.  The vessel took fire, and was left listing.   Twenty enemy fighters sought to disrupt the attack.  Nine or ten of them were destroyed, while none of the United States planes was lost

Sky Battle

The communiqué reported no actions for February 3, but on the 4th, American torpedo planes, dive bombers and fighters, ranging 200 miles north of Guadalcanal, assaulted 20 enemy destroyers, sank one and badly damaged another.  The destroyers had air protection and a sky battle developed.  The Japanese lost seven Zeros definitely and probably five more.  The American force lost four torpedo planes, one bomber and one fighter.

In the final attack of the seven day period reported in the communiqué, Dauntless dive bombers with Wildcat and Warhawk fighters attacked 18 enemy destroyers which were protected by 25 Zeros.  Two bombs hit one destroyer and a second destroyer took one hit.  Ten Zeros were shot down, two probably shot down.  Three American fighters and one dive bomber were lost.

While not claiming an American victory, the Navy communiqué summed up the battle this way: "Events subsequent to February 4 centered around the collapse of Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal, as has been announced in previous communiqués."

The Following Pictures Accompanied the Above Article

Copyright © 1997 Tom Pirtle.  All rights reserved.