OFFENSIVE IN PACIFIC

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23962, 1 June 1943, Page 6

OFFENSIVE IN PACIFIC

♦ PLANS DISCUSSED BY U.S. ADMIRAL “WE HAVE THE INITIATIVE ” (P.A.) WELLINGTON. May 31. “We have the initiative, and we shall push from, here, we shall push from New Guinea, and we shall push the sons of guns back home if we can.” said Rear-Admiral Theodore Stark Wilkinson, Deputy-Commander to Admiral Halsey in the south Pacific, when dealing with plans in the area in an interview to-night. “Relations between the South Pacific and the South-west Pacific Commands are being closely co-ordinated. They are cordial and co-operative. They are so closely linked that they must be,” the Rear-Admiral added. The successful United States action In the Aluetians would, in his opinion, distract the Japanese in these areas, and might cause a withdrawal of some forces to strengthen their defences in that direction. “It will not distract our offensive down here, I assure you,’’ the Admiral commented. Admiral Halsey had said last January that he considered New Zealand's position reasonably safe. Since then they had consolidated their position by the capture of Guadalcanar and other islands. They had increased strength on the ground, and particularly in the air. They could detect, through those air forces, any Japanese advance in strength, and could. Admiral Wilkinson thought, intercept and break it up with land and aircraft-carrier-based aircraft. Japan's Shipping Position Admiral Wilkinson said that Japan’s shipping position was critical. "I believe,” he said, “that it is her most critical point. She was not too well supplied when the war began, and what she was able to seize from France and other countries is far lees than she has lost, and her shipbuilding facilities are limited.’’ In his estimation Japan had only 80 to 60 submarines now. Rabaul had undoubtedly been developed as a submarine base, and if Japan liked to divert all her submarines to the area, the Allies might have an increase in her attack. It was probable that they would get continued activity by her submarines; but he would not venture to say whether it would decrease or increase. The main convoy route from the United States had been singularly free from losses. There had been some minor and regrettable losses in the south Pacific. When first operations started there had been difficulties with the quick turnround of ships. Facilities for discharge in the islands were then poor; but they had now been improved, and the turnround was much quicker, with the result that the shipping position was correspondingly improved. There had been, the admiral said, allocations of additional ships to the run, so that the position was now quite satisfactory. He had heard no criticism of the speed of the turnround in New Zealand, but said that any improvement which could be effected would be to the good. New Landing Craft Admiral Wilkinson described a new type of craft which had been developed for the carriage and quick discharge of material in landing operations. The vessels, he said, were of shallow draft forward, though deep aft, and could run against beaches where they were not too shallow. Their bows then opened sideways, and a landing platform was let down between the doors. “Over this platform,” said the admiral, “tanks, trucks, or what you will can run straight on to the land. In addition, on their decks these craft carry smaller craft, which are launched by canting the mother craft sideways, and sliding them off. They are tank-carrying landing craft, which would otherwise be unable to reach the combat area. : ; .- Admiral Wilkinson said, itv.reply to a question as to the adoption of the island-hopping technique, that it was not safe to leave an armed and equipped enemy in one’s rear without taking steps to occupy or neutralise the territory the enemy occupied in one’s path. Asked what effect air raids on Japan, such as foreshadowed by Mr Churchill in Washington last week, were likely to have on the Japanese prosecution of the war in the outer defence ring, Admiral Wilkinson said that would undoubtedly cause a withdrawal of forces to assist in defence against further raids. He was not saying, however, anything as to such raids being carried out. There had been a diminution of Japan’s cruiser strength by at least orie-third, possibly one-half, since the beginning of hostilities, and in battleships she was a little worse off. She had lost about three of the latter, and in the admiral’s opinion not more than two of the bigger types building at the beginning of the war were so far in commission.