Pacific Offensive

Southland Times, Issue 24822, 14 August 1942, Page 4

Pacific Offensive

IT WAS reported yesterday that 50 Allied warships and 100 transports are believed to be engaged in the battle for the Solomons. Official reports “are expected to reveal that the attacking fleet is the largest yet employed by either side in the Pacific war.” These facts not only reveal the magnitude of the operations: they also indicate the importance of the strategic issue. The Americans have set out to do what the Japanese tried unsuccessfully to do at Midway Island. In that historic battle the fighting was confined entirely to the skies. A large Japanese fleet, convoying transports, approached the island; but no surface vessels were engaged (except against aircraft), and no troops were able to effect a landing. Naval planes from the aircraft-carriers failed to intercept the United States land-based bombers, and the carriers themselves were sunk or badly damaged. In the Solomons the Japanese were more favourably placed than the Americans at Midway. Instead of one small island, they had several large ones which could be used for air bases; and reinforcements could be brought from points at no great distance from the scene of operations. But the offensive was apparently well planned. While the task force was approaching Tulagi, Allied bombers were pounding the bases and supply routes which the Japanese could use for bringing up reinforcements.

This preventive action was not confined to the neighbouring area. American bombers were reported yesterday to have carried out heavy raids on Canton and other places between Canton and Hankow. According to an American correspondent in Chungking, these attacks “were undoubtedly partially designed as a diversion to prevent the Japanese from rushing aerial reinforcements to the Solomons.” It can be seen, therefore, that there is a wide strategic pattern beyond the attack on Tulagi. The full importance of the preventive raids may be

revealed later, as the Americans tighten their hold upon the Solomons. But the central action remains difficult and hazardous. The attacking force has already shown that it could succeed where the Japanese failed. It has penetrated the air defences, and has obtained footholds on three of the islands. There are bound to have been heavy losses, and the battle is by no means ended. But if it ends successfully (and there are grounds for believing that it will), the Americans will have achieved far more than a tactical victory. They will have shown that sea and air power can be used to throw the Japanese out of their island strongholds. They will have taken the first and hardest step in the counter-offensive that is to end only with the defeat of Japan.