Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1943. ACTION IN THE PACIFIC.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1943. ACTION IN THE PACIFIC.

JQECIDED opinions as to the course that Allied- strategy is likely to take in the war against Japan in the Pacific were expressed by the New Zealand Minister to Washington (Mr. Nash) when he was welcomed at Auckland on Monday on his return from the United States. Besides hinting that unpleasant surprises were in store for the Japanese, Mr. Nash repudiated emphatically the suggestion that “this should be just a holding war” and added; — I am satisfied that the Japanese will get a terrible shock when everything that is being built up is unleashed against them. There is no doubt whatever that such a force is being built up. All that Mr. Nash had to say on this subject was qualified by his observation that “it would be dangerous so to divide our .forces between the European and Pacific fronts as to run the risk of being ineffective in both theatres.” It is, of course, established quite clearly that the war in Europe is accorded a very considerable priority in Allied offensive plans. This does not of necessity imply, however, that the Allies must restrict themselves to a holding campaign in the Pacific and Mr. Nash should and probably does know, what he is talking about. In the anticipations he expressed at Auckland he does not lack a measure of support. Some usually well-informed American commentators, for instance, arc definitely countenancing the idea that noteworthy developments of Allied offensive action are in near prospect in the Pacific. Subject always to the reservation that the full power of the Allies cannot be brought to bear upon Japan until Nazi Germany has been smashed, there is no obvious reason why. these anticipations should not be realised. The best reason for believing that they may be realised is that the Allies are already doing much more than fight only a holding campaign. As a sequel to the recent battle of the Bismarck Sea, in which a Japanese convoy of 22 war and merchant ships was annihilated, the highly successful attack made by a small force of Allied aircraft during the three days ended on Sunday last, on a heavily protected Japanese convoy off the northern end of New Ireland is most impressive and must be exceedingly disconcerting to the enemy. From the official reports it appears that- a total force of 26 Allied bombers certainly sank three enemy warships, including a heavy cruiser and a light cruiser, and a merchant ship. In addition, three destroyers and another warship which may have been a light cruiser, together with four merchant ships, were bombed and damaged and three warships and a merchant ship were bombed with unobserved results. The details of the action, amongst them the use of several of the bombers in neutralising the Kavieng aerodrome, in New Ireland, seem fully to justify the claim of an official spokesman that the battle was carefully planned. That so much, including the reconquest of Papua and Guadalcanal, has been accomplished by limited forces appears to justify a belief that a comparatively modest addition to these forces might make it possible seriously to upset, if not wreck the,war plans of the Japanese. Although the Allies are not yet in a position, to strike decisively at their Pacific enemy in his home territory, they may be capable of action that will contribute definitely to ultimate victory. Opinion is divided as to whether the Japanese have estab-' fished their chain of island bases from the Celebes to the Solomons in preparation for offensive' action, or are intent rather on creating a defensive barrier behind which they could exploit and organise the human and material resources of East Asia. The question is whether the Allies, pending the fullpowered offensive which of necessity is postponed, can so harry their enemy and progressively cut down his strength that he will be unable effectively to exploit his conquests. A heavy toll, particularly of Japanese air and naval strength and merchant shipping, has been and is being taken in air and naval action extending from the Aleutians to the South Pacific. It seems possible that this action may be intensified in the present areas of conflict and in some additional areas —for example, by air attacks from Chinese bases —without imposing any undesirable drain on Allied strength in Europe. l