WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Navy Frank Knox said today that U.S. forces finally had smashed all organized Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal and were now in position to strike the enemy's "most important bases" in that part of the world.
Knox told reporters at a press conference that "all resistance on Guadalcanal apparently has ceased," except for a few small isolated troops trapped in jungle defiles and valleys.
He said information from Guadalcanal, where American forces landed for the first time last Aug. 7, supported Japanese reports that they had withdrawn troops from that most strategically important of the Solomon Islands.
Knox indicated that surface and air engagements which started more than a week ago were continuing sporadically.
In bringing the Guadalcanal phase of the Solomons campaign to a successful conclusion, American forces are now in position to launch assaults at remaining enemy bases in the island group.
These include the New Georgia Islands, important because of the Japanese air base at Munda, 180 nautical miles northwest of Guadalcanal; the Shortland Islands, 295 miles northwest, and Bougainville Island with its important base of Buin, about 307 miles northwest of Guadalcanal.
Knox made his disclosures indicating that 4,000 to 6,000 enemy troops had either been killed or evacuated in commenting on Axis broadcasts quoting a Tokyo communique to me effect that the Japanese had "transferred" certain units of their army and navy from Guadalcanal and the Buna area of New Guinea early in February.
Sea Battles Covered Withdrawal
Knox said that the air-sea engagements which have been occurring in this area for more than a week might be in part an effort to cover the withdrawal of troops from the island.
"The south Pacific story might have been vastly different for the last three or four months had we not established ourselves in the Solomons successfully," Knox observed.
Knox began the press conference by recalling that when he returned from his recent tour of the southwest Pacific he had made an estimate that significant Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal had collapsed then he quoted from the Axis broadcast on the Japanese communique.
"I don't think there's any doubt about the truth of that," Knox said. "What we thought were attempts to reinforce may have been attempts to evacuate. But that is speculative and we will have to await confirmation.
No Large Groups Left
"We are satisfied by our air and ground reconnaissance that there is no large number of Japanese in any one group. Several small groups have been surrounded and cut off from supplies and reinforcements."
He recalled that during his visit to Guadalcanal he had stood in an exposed position which might very well have come under Japanese fire yet the enemy did not fire a shot, "probably because he dldn't have any artillery shells to reach us," Knox said, The few isolated Japanese groups that were left, Knox continued took refuge in the jungle valleys and defiles of the island where "either death or surrender were their only alternatives.
Engagements Continued
He said there had been no further news of the air-sea engagements going on in the Solomons area.
"So far as I know the same preliminary plays are still going on," Knox added, referring to previous Navy statements that both air and of surface forces on each side were skirmishing.
"I suspect it's possible that this might be a demonstration to cover the withdrawal of their troops," Knox said in reply to a question.
"Do you have any information to confirm the Japanese reports of withdrawal?" he was asked.
"We have information from Guadalcanal partly supporting the Japanese reports," Knox replied. "All resistance on the island apparency has ceased, except that there may be a few small Isolated groups left."
"Did the enemy have much to withdraw?"
"No. they didn't. The number of Japanese on the island when we were down there -- on Jan. 21-22 -- was estimated to be between 4,000 and 6,000."
Again a reporter asked him whether the Navy had any confirmation of Japanese evacuation.
"We have some information indicating evacuation," Knox reiterated. He was asked to assess the value of complete American domination of Guadalcanal.
"It has both positive and negative value." Knox replied. "The negative would deny to the Japanese an opportunity for raids on our communications. Also affirmatively, it has brought us up to where we are in striking distance of some of their most important bases."
Tokyo Announces Evacuation
Japan indirectly admitted today that it had suffered its first land defeat of the war when an imperial headquarters communique announced that Japanese troops had been evacuated from Guadalcanal Island and from Buna in New Guinea.
Japan explained that its troops were withdrawn after they had completed the task of making it possible to establish strong bases in New Guinea and the Solomons, "which from now on permits new strategy."
The Japanese communique said the following losses had been inflicted on the Allied forces: 25,000 dead and wounded, 230 planes, 30 heavy guns and 25 tanks either destroyed or heavily damaged.
The communique added:
"Japanese losses are: 10,734 dead, wounded or dead as a result of illness or wounds. One hundred and thirty-nine planes did not return to their bases or have voluntarily crashed on their targets."
Tokyo, heard by the United Tress listening post in San Francisco, said that the transfer of Japanese forces to "new theatres" was accomplished in the "most orderly manner," as the result of continued pressure on the Americans.
Actually Japan lost 15,000 men killed in tbe Buna campaign alone, where the entire Papuan army under Lieut. Gen. Tomatori Horri was destroyed.
