JAP DEFENCES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 57, 4 September 1943, Page 7

JAP DEFENCES

NEW BLOW EXPECTED

MEANING OF MARCUS RAID

Rec. 9 a.m.

NEW YORK, Sept. 3,

Observers expect a new blow along Japan's outer defences to follow the attack on Marcus Island, says the Pearl Harbour correspondent of the "New York Times." It is assumed that the new American strength in carriers and battleships is sufficient to make a major clash against . the Japanese fleet welcome and profitable, specially since Admiral Nimitz is in a position to choose the time and place tor battle

The raid on Marcus Island was of great potential value. The destruction of its three known runways would remove a vital link in Japan s supply line to the mandated islands; and the Marshall and Gilbert groups at a time when,the Japanese bases in I the central Pacific areas are under dire threat I Marcus Island is also the first stop-ping-place outside Japan en route to Truk. The possibilities of attacking the nearer approaches to Truk and eventually striking at the Marshalls and Gilberts are well recognised. CARRIER STRENGTH. DOUBLED. In the first official comment on the attack, Vice-Admiral McCain, deputy Chief of Naval Air. Operations, declared that the raid was only a token. "Such blows will increase in tempo, power, and fury till finally, in continuous attack, we lay waste in blood and ashes the Japanese home islands. The admiral asserted that the success of the present offensive was based ] on realistic conceptions of how we; were going to defeat General Tojosj "forces • i "Our surface air power is being co-ordinated with such strength that we will eventually sink the major part of the Japanese fleet, he said. "We are going to knock every Japanese fighter and bomber out of the air. % He added that a big factor in the conquest of Japan would be the carrier. Today, he said, our carrier plane strength was double that at tne beginning of the war. This included the planes based on small escort carriers as well as large combat types, of which 11 new ones had been launched.' .. i