Costly Error in Australian Strategy

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 60, 14 March 1944, Page 5

Costly Error in Australian Strategy

SIR EARLE PAGE’S CHARGE CANBERRA, March 13. A demand for Government action to deal with an alleged lack of coordination in the Australian Department oi the Army has been made by Sir Earle Page, a member of the Commonwealth Advisory War Council. He claimed that lack of coordination had caused disastrous changes in the strategy of the Owen Stanley Range and Buna-Gona campaigns, and declared that those changes had largely been responsible for numbers of Australians and Americans being killed, wounded and disabled by tropical diseases. The wiping out of a single ill-armed Japanese division cut off from its supplies in an area under Allied air domination had involved Australian battle casualties which were more than twice those suffered on the El Alamein front, said Sir Earle Page. At El Alamein it was estimated that the Australian casualties in one of the most intense battles of the World War were about 2700. In the Papuan fighting referred to the joint AustralianAmerican losses, apart from non-fatal cases of sickness, were nearly 10,000. These must have been about the heaviest in any successful operation any where in this war. In New Guinea from August, 1942, to Pebruary, 1943, there had been added to 6212 battle casualties 25,000 cases of disease. Many of the casualties would have been averted if the original strategy bad been followed and Japanese supplies had been cut off by naval and air bombardment. Bombing, especially night bombing, could have been used to inflict malarial casualties on the enemy by forcing the troops to expose themselves to malarial mosquitoes. The interruption of the sea and air supply lines of troops suffering from chronic malaria would have caused a heavy death-rate from blackwater fever. This policy was apparently now being followed in making Allied soldiers, even senior officers, realise the importance of anti-malarial discipline. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF DEFENDED Received Tuesday, 12.30 a.m. CANBERRA, March 13. General Sir Thomas Blarney and his officers had the complete confidence of the War Cabinet, said the Australian Army Minister (Mr. Forde) to-day. He describes Sir Earle Page’s criticism of Army strategy as “most unjust” and added: “Sir Thomas Blarney’s control of the army in the time of our greatest crisis has been such that the whole nation should be grateful to him. In the face of tremendous difficulties he carried out with distinction the task allotted to him.” Mr. and Mrs. J. O’Donnell, of Bunnytliorpe, have received word that their son Arthur Michael, Ims gained a commission in the 2nd N.Z.E.F., Middle East Forces.