STRATEGIC VALUE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 14, 12 October 1943, Page 5

STRATEGIC VALUE

Wake As Allied Base

(By Telegraph —Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 10.

If the wide .Allied aim in the Pacific is to sever the Japanese outpost communications from the mainland, Wake Island would be an almost indispensable advanced base, says th.e “Sydney Morning Herald’s” military correspondent, discussing last Tuesday’s sea and air raid on -the three separate islands of this Strategically important atoll in the north central Pacific.

The correspondent points out that the trend of Allied strategy since the defensive phase of the Pacific war ended has been in the direction of greater naval and aerial activity in order to cut in on the Japanese lines of communication with the outlying strongholds.

Suggesting the possibility of an Allied reduction of Wake Island the writer says : “In any attempt to bring down the outer part of the hastily-occupied Japanese empire, Wake Island could play a part, comparable with that of Rabaul, 2100 miles to the south-west. Allied possession of these two bases would change the face of the war in the southern Pacific, first by isolating and nullifying th? enemy holdings to the east and secondly by threatening Japan’s position in Micronesia to the west and north. Base for Raids on Tokio.

“An airfield on the main island at Wake would bring the Americans 2300 miles west of Honolulu. Since Wake has been raided from Honolulu five times in the past 16 months, then Tokio could be attacked from Wake, since the distance is 400 miles shorter. The great Japanese base at Truk is only 1200 miles from Wake, and many intervening hide-outs would also be open to attack by air. “Wake is also important as a forward naval base. If the Americans were able to reconquer the island, ito main importance would be as an advanced supply base from which the now great.lv augmented Pacific Fleet could be used for aggressive purposes. Wake would be also particularly useful as a base for submarine supplies.”

Yankees Win Again. The New York- Yankees beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 in the fourth match of the world baseball series, giving Ihe Yankees a 3-1 match advantage The. scores were Yankees, 2 runs, 6 hits, 2 u 1 run, 7. hits, X error,.