SEA SUPREMACY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20874, 28 August 1942, Page 3

SEA SUPREMACY

ALLIED PROSPECT solomonsTstruggle BATTLE STILL RAGING (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) . (Special Australian Correspondent.) (10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 28. A major setback for the Japanese navy within the next few days could reduce enemy sea power to a point where they might not again be able to challenge the American fleet, whose strength is rapidly increasing. This is the opinion among Australian observers, but a London report •'that Japan has already lost naval supremacy in the south-west Pacific” is regarded as premature. Pictures of the fighting are far from complete, but the American naval, communiques are known to be ultraconservative, and the latest statement that "the results of the fight so far are encouraging” is accepted as giving good grounds for optimism. American observers report that the sea and air .battle is apparently raging with increased fury, despite the withdrawal of one Japanese force. Heavy enemy units are thought to be still in the battle, which so far has served to confirm again the superiority of landbased aircraft in such operations. This advantage’ lies strongly with the Allies. Aerial forces alone were used in the battle engagements up till Monday, except for one destroyer attack against shore targets. However, observers believe that the Japanese fleet may now come to close grips with the American fleet for the first time since the Pacific war began. It is pointed out that Japan needs desperately to regain the initiative. She is thus likely to accept the issue, sought and provoked by the Allies, before the American consolidation of the southern Solomons is completed. Once the Allies have established numbers of airfields in the area, Japan’s chances of retaking the islands will have dwindled to vanishing point. American Use of Air Power The American forces in the Solomons are stated to be using Buccaneer and Hell-diver dive-bombers and Avenger torpedo-bombers against the Japanese ships. American predictions are that the enemy losses will be at least equal to those at Midway Island. Mr. Arthur Hale, the radio news analyst, ..says that the Allies have regained the Pacific naval superiority that they lost at Pearl Harbour'. “But before we can say the Pacific is ours, we must smash the Japanese fleet in its home waters,” he adds. The opinion here that Japan has still great strength in the south-west Pacific is sharply underlined. by the latest enemy landing in New Guinea.

‘;We should not believe that a powerful and persistent enemy will tamely allow reverses in the Solomons to discourage him from further adventures in the South Seas,” says the Sydney Sun in an editorial. “He still nas his forward bases in the archipelago and on New Guinea itself. The latest landing proves his intention to increase their number and so encircle our one outpost in this region, Port Moresby.” Pointing out that the enemy can speedily and powerfully reinforce his sea, air and land forces from bases in the Marshall and Caroline Islands, the Sun adds: “If we may look upon the last fortnight’s success as the turn of the tide, the flood of Japanese conquest may still send the spume of its heavier waves into channels closer to Australia and New Zealand. Before the full ebb, many battles will have to be fought by land, sea and air.”