ISLANDS OF DESTINY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 85, 27 June 1944, Page 4

ISLANDS OF DESTINY

THERE seems little doubt but that the long and expensive policy of hunting the Japanese out of their island positions one by one, was mainly responsible for the major naval clash between the American and Japanese fleets last week. Its results, as prophesied by the Tokio radio will have far-reaching repercussions in the conduct of the oouth Pacific campaign, and it is little far from the truth &av that the Nipponese war lords must now regard the combat in the light of a major disaster. Briefly, it would be correct to surmise that the Imperial Jap. fleet was ordered to bar the way to the dangerously encroaching Anglo-American forces which were in the process of slowly, but effectively eliminating the Japanese garrisons from the various island outposts which had been annexed in the first irresistable spate, of the Nipponese invasion. Already badly battered in the Midway and Coral £>ea conflicts, the 'ships of the Island Empire, had been refitted and by desperate and posr sibly ruthless methods the weakened Nippon air force was recouped and manned by a new flush of pilots and 'personnel. The time was ready to try conclusions against the advancing forces of the United Nations. Already the main cities of Japan were within bombing distance of the contracting island ring, and the bitter examples of the avenging Allied air offensive in Europe, were sufficient to make the Japanese War Cabinet most apprehensive for the fate of their own islands. The preliminary skirmishing, and manoeuvring into striking positions occupied the first two days of last week, during which time the American naval 'spotters' gave warning of the massing of the enemy fleet, and a tide of carrier-based aircraft dealt a staggering blow by destroying three hundred aircraft which were doubtless in preparation for the coming Japanese attack. The cautious movements of the fleet of the Rising Sun showed only too clearly that the Nipponese Admiral was not going to take too many risks, and it would appear that this very policy of caution led to his undoing. His idea was to hover just beyond reach of the range of the Yankee guns, and await a favourable opportunity to launch a dual attack by sea and air. Once again the American force anticipated the action, and the sky above the skulking ships was suddenly darkened by an angry mass of aircraft. Bombers and fighters kept the enemy craft battened down to the decks of their own aircraft carriers. The American licet had a day off, and left the main work to the airmen, who this time destroyed a total of 650 aircraft, and sunk or damaged no less than fifteen enemy ships. The remaining units of the Japanese fleet 'ran away' reads the cryptic radioed account of the action, and thus once again we can expect to hear of a fresh wave of suicides as the leading figures in the Japanese Admiralty proceed to, commit 'harikari' in traditional manner. The blow dealt the Japanese war machine in the battle off the Marianas can be described as one of the most devastating to date, and once again in the ominous words of Nippons own voice of propaganda, its results will be far-reaching.