JAPAN’S VULNERABLE SPOT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 36, 6 November 1942, Page 4

JAPAN’S VULNERABLE SPOT

In 1939 Japan’s merchant marine was the third largest in the world, and 38 per cent, of it was less than 10 years old. Care was taken, when entry into the war was planned, to ensure that all Japanese shipping was in home waters, or on the way, and the first stage of the campaign gave the authorities at Tokio additions in vessels seized in various ports and the Axis shipping that had sought safety in Japanese harbours. But this was a non-recurring gain and today Japan must conduct a war over an area stretching almost the. entire ’length of the Pacific and making a tremendous demand on shipping. A message from Sydney published yesterday expressed the view that the attrition tactics of the Allies must be seriously hampering Japanese action. The American submarine units have been taking heavy toll in Far Eastern waters, and it is doubtful whether Japanese shipbuilding yards, needed for urgent repair work, will He able to maintain the former output of 500,000 tons of new shipping annually. Recently an analysis of the Japanese shipping position was made by an expert in London. He stressed the fact that while Japan would need less shipping for her export trade she would require more for essential imports. In 1940 more than 3,000,000 tons of shipping usable for overseas transport were employed on trade within the socalled co-prosperity sphere, and a further million tons weie needed to maintain the armies in China. It might be possible, he said, to divert some of this shipping to military transport work elsewhere, but not without a serious deterioration of the trade position-. This shipping expert reached the conclusion that Japan would, have from 2,000,000 to 2,500,000 tons of shipping available for her extensive armed enterprises, and he added: “There can be no doubt that shipping is the most vulnerable spot of Japan. ... . - If Allied bombers and submarines.are able'to intensify their attacks on Japanese shipping the consequences will make themselves quickly felt. Japan has no shipping margin of any importance. . - . If Japan were to lose one million tons of shipping during the first twelve months the position would become serious and a loss of two million tons would mean catastrophe.” It has now been estimated that the enemy s losses thus far total about 250 transports, supply vessels and merchant ships, so that the position must ,be growing strained. The repair programme for the shipyards is now extensive, and new construction will be difficult, making every merchant vessel lost a more serious matter to the authorities in Tokio.