AMERICA AT WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1942, Page 3

AMERICA AT WAR

ARMY & NAVY JOINT REPORT GREAT AND EXPANDING EFFORTS BASED ON OFFENSIVE STRATEGY. PROGRESS TOWARDS UNITY OF COMMAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, May 16. The Army and Navy Departments today jointly released a detailed report on the progress o! the war, recapitulating known facts in a well-rounded story, but also disclosing interesting new details. The report says that when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour a considerable part of the American Navy was engaged—indeed, had been engaged for several months —in convoying troops and supplies to the outlying American oases and supplies under lend-lease to other countries. Anticipating the possibility of an attack on the Philippines, the Army was sending reinforcements there since the spring of last year, and between August and December sizeable augmentations of artillery, tanks and aircraft arrived. Further reinforcements which were en route on December 7 were ordered to alter their course to Australia and arrived there safely under naval escort, thus forming the nucleus of the American forces there. Germany’s and Italy’s declarations of war then involved America in a global conflict involving strategic considerations unique in American history, necessitating the immediate garrisoning of outposts from Alaska to Australia and from Iceland to South America. During the first three weeks of the war approximately 600,000 American troops were moved to battle stations. As an illustration, the report mentions that the American military embarkation ports were handling even before Pearl Harbour a tonnage exceeding the maximum of the first World. War, and this had tremendously increased since Pearl Harbour. After dealing further with events in the Philippines, the report goes on to state that: —“The American concept always has been and will continue to be the offensive Sound military policy requires the concentration of all the available resources for the main effort with the maximum economy in forces in the secondary' theatres. This may result in apparent reverses, which are, within the large strategic picture, actually successes.” , The report enumerates preparatory offensive actions, such as the successful thrusts against the Japanese shipping in the Marshall and Gilbert groups, Wake, Marcus and Lombok Islands, and the Macassar Straits, while “the combined American and Australian land-based air forces have successfully crippled Japanese shipping and shore facilities at two ports in New Guinea.” Army air forces carried out raids on Japanese shipping and shore installations in the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies, and the Japanese homeland itself, while American submarines in the Far East and the southwest Pacific have sunk many Japanese naval merchant vessels and transports, and the Chinese forces under General Stilwell have upset the Japanese timetable. CORAL SEA BATTLE. Referring to the Coral Sea battle, the report, says, “A task force of the Pacific Fleet, assisted by army planes and several United Nations naval units, engaged a Japanese naval force in the Coral Sea, inflicting severe losses on the enemy. What appeared to be an attempt, at a further invasion ended with the withdrawal of the enemy forces.” Covering the general situation, the report says that the most encouraging feature is the rapid manner in which machinery has been established for efficient prosecution of the war. This machinery has reached a peak by the close collaboration of the United Nations. The principle of unity of command has been put into effect in every theatre, and the collaboration of the United Nations has progressed tremendously, particularly since Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt established joint war machinery, which insures complete unity of purpose toward the defeat of the Axis. The report concludes: “During the first five months of American participation in the war, we have met with reverses and enjoyed some successes, but the unity of the American people and their grim determination to avenge the foul blow of December 7, and rid the world of the militaristic aggressors cannot be denied, and will finally prove the righteousness of the cause to which the United Nations have unstintingly dedicated their manpower, resources, and future.”