Busy Preparations For Offensive From Solomons

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1942, Page 3

Busy Preparations For Offensive From Solomons

Newly-acquired bases must be built up. The scene in the south-eastern Solomons appears to be now mainly one of busy preparation for their offensive use in the future and to withstand any major attack by Japanese, says the Press Association correspondent at a South Pacific port^ He emphasises that the capture of the islands has to be followed by much intensive work before the new bases can be turned to good account in the offen-sive-defensive plans of the South Pacific Command. In these plans it is obvious that undertakings against Japanese bases are considered the best means of guaranteeing Allied defence security. The more distanct the screen of Allied bases the greater the protection of the Allied countries such as New Zealand and Australia. He pictures the Solomons scene now as being one where three kinds of activity are believed to be progressing. The first is organisation of the new bases so that they can be used offensively. Tlie second is continued consolidation of the protective ring of American positions around ahd beyond the integral areas, and the third is a search by marines for Japanese forces still in being beyond their forward positions in the densely wooded islands. The latest communique by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz at Pearl Harbour confirms the statement made several days ago that fighting has not ceased or is likely to cease while there remain at large enemy forces who fled into the jungle after the capture of the islands and later drew together in guerrilla groups. The main purpose of theso Japanese is to disturb and disrupt American activity and to maintain an information service to the enemy-occupied islands of , the northern Solomons and, through them, to the Carolines, where the eventual enemy command in this area is probably located. However. unless the Japancr.e can regain control of the island's seaways there seems to ba no im-

mediate danger of the marines being dislodged and of the islands again changing hands. The Americans hold the southeastern Solomons in a g9od, although a wary, grip. Such an operation as that which resulted last Thursday in the Japanese landing a battalion on one of the islands does not argue a weakening of Allied sea control. In an area with so many channels and opportunities for concealment, a night operation of this nature is always possible. The main concern of the Allied fleet is to meet and defeat the whole force of the Japanese naval power which can be brought to bear in an effort to break the offensive potential of the Allies in the South and South-west Pacific areas. A battalion, and even larger, attack on Guadalcar-1, Tulagi, and the neighbouring islands, can be left to the land forces with a good measure of confidence. The naval future in the area still re-. mains vital. No one can foretell exactly when or where the anticipated clash will come, but the Allied fleet is essentially offensive in character notwithstanding possible losses since the opening of the operation. The Makin Island raid is not believed to be part of the Solomons operation and the forces engaged were probably not detached from Admiral Ghormley's immediate command in the Solomons-New Caledonia area. but the raid does not appear to fall into the general plan and pattem of the Allies' offensive intentions completely analogous with the British Commando operations. It points to the great potential value of the Americans' possession of and specialisation in the use of amphibious forces under unified command and is immediately demonstrative of the use at sea of a military method practised so successfully on land by the Japanese— infiltration. It has the immediate result of clearing up one of many dangerous sores which the enemy has been able to break out on the flank of the Pacific supply and operational lines. The sudden switching of attention so far east should drive home a truth that is commonly overlooked — that the river of danger to Allied countries and islands in the Pacific has more than one ford.