NEW COMMANDER IN SOUTH PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 223, 17 June 1944, Page 6

NEW COMMANDER IN SOUTH PACIFIC

Fresh Post For Admiral Halsey

It has been announced both in London and Washington that Admiral W. F. Hals-ev has relinquished his post as Allied Commander-in-Chief in the South Pacific and has been given a fresh appointment which is not yet disclosed. He has been succeeded by Vice-Admiral John H. Newton. Vice-Admiral Newton, who won the American Distinguished Service Cross in European waters in the last war, is an officer about whom comparatively littie has been heard in the past few years, but for whom officers' who have served with him hold the deepest respect. He is described as being one of the American navy’s most capable organizers, as well as a clever and hard-hitting leader. He is an acknowledged American authority on the employment of light naval forces and a leading exponent of cruiser tactics. For some years no new cruiser took its place on the stocks in American shipbuilding yards till its design and armament had been approved by Admiral Newton. In March, 1941, Admiral Newton, then a rear-admiral, took an American cruiser and destroyer squadron to Australia at the same time as a destroyer squadron was visiting New Zealand. He flew his flag in the cruiser Chicago. Admiral Newton was born in Pennsylvania on December 13, 1881, and entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1905. He was commissioned an ensign in 1907 and since then has served in both the wars and the several campaign in which his navy has been employed. In the last war he was first of all commander of the American Fifth Destroyer Division, based on Queenstown, Ireland, and later he was destroyer force gunnery officer. After the Armistice he again commanded a destroyer division in the Mediterranean and Adriatic. From 1922 till after Japan attacked the United States in 1941 he spent all his time in cruisers and rose to be commander cruisers, scouting force. In this command, which he held at the time he visited Australia, he had 18 heavy cruisers under his leadership. In appearance Admiral Newton is short, thick-set and alert, it being said of him that by his every movement and crisp word he conveys an uncanny impression of machine-like efficiency. An officer who has served under him has said: “As an organizer he is a terror for detail. Nothing seems to escape his roving eye, ami he is always one step ahead of you no matter how resourceful you may think you are.”

ADMIRAL’S FAREWELL Message To Forces In South Pacific , (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 16. Admiral Halsey has sent the tollowing farewell message to all ships and stations in the South Pacific area:— . “Proudly I send this parting: Wed done to my victorious all-services South Pacific fighting team. You have met, measured and mowed down the best the enemy had on land, sea and in the air. You have sent hundreds of Tojo's ships, thousands of his planes and tens of thousands of his slippery minions whence they can never again attack our flag, nor the flags of our allies. You beat the Jap in the grim victory of Guadalcanal, vou drove him back and hunted him out, you broke his offensive spirit in those smashing Botigainville-Rabaul blows at his ships and planes and troops in November, 1943, and you have Smeared him and rolled over him to easily occupy Emirau, and now carry on the smashing South Pacific tradition under your new commanders, and may we join iip again further along the road to Tokio.”