MAY BE A FEINT

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 249, 22 October 1942, Page 2

MAY BE A FEINT

JAP. SOLOMONS MOVE D1FFICULT STRATEGIC FACTORS U.S. ADMIRAL REVIEWS SITUATION.

P,A. Special.

SYDNEY, Oot. 22.

The diffieulties confronting U.S. naval strategists in the Solomons are* stressed by Admiral Stirling, former Chief of Staff of the United States fleet, who says that Japan enjoys the great advantage of being able to bring any num■ber of warships into action „in a eomparatively small area of these islands, without jeopardising operations elsewhere. United States warships in the Solomons must operate cautiously to avoid exposure against a far superior > Japanese fleet and yet remain in close enough support of the land defenders to prevent an enemy naval bombardment of Henderson airfleld and to cripple as many Japanese ships as possible before the main surface action begins. Admiral Stirling warns that Japanese strategy may be to use the Solomons as a feint to draw away U.S. warships from Hawaii and throw in a huge invasion force against Midway, ultimately using Midway as a base for an attempted capture of Hawaii. He adds that it is too early to forecast the results of the battle for Guaralcanar. The relative air strengths are still undetermined and there are too many other unknown quantities. IMFORTANCE OF SEA ROUTES,

The naval situation in the Solomons is also discussed to-day by the Sydney Herald's military correspondent. Although the naval balance in Ihe Paciflc as a whole has now definitely moved in Allied favour, he says this does not necessarily mean that the Allies can bring into play in such local areas as the Solomons striking power superior to that of the Japanese. "Arnerieans have to be prepared for possible Japanese diversionary blows elsewhere, whereas the Japanese, in addition to having a degree of strategical freedom, which goes with internal lines of communication, also have the advantage of the nearby pivotal base of Truk. While Hawaii is 3000 miles from the Solomons, Truk is only 1000 miles distant and the trickiness of these Micronesian waters in many ways acts as a protective screen for Japanese activities." Stressing the fact that everything in the Solomons depends in the last resort upon keeping open the sea r&utes, this correspondent says it is ineonceivable that the United States should not have made powerful naval preparations for the defence of the area. He expressed ihe opinion that many American estimates of united States strength in the Solomons have been grossly inadequate and points out that it has been no secret that Japan has been moving heavy naval units south for some time. It is reported that a powerful Japanese naval and transport fleet is still marshalled in the proteeted waters around Buin and Faisi. The concentration has been attacked four times during the past week by Aus-tralian-based aircraft as well as by bombers from Guadalcanar, from which U.S. aircraft now appear to be operating on a eonsiderable scale.