TRUK & RABAUL FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 April 1943, Page 3

TRUK & RABAUL FORCES

The spokesman said: “The Japanese combat fleet which is being maintained in the Truk area is within less than three days’ sailing distance of New Guinea. As regards merchant shipping, a concentration of approximately 250,000 tons has been maintained in or round Rabaul for the past several months. “Other Japanese bases on the arc of Palau-Manila-Sourabaya are within easy concentration range of the 2500mile battle line which envelopes the upper half of Australia. Constant convoys, operating beyond the range of our air forces, are being pushed forward to reinforce the enemy.” The spokesman added that General Blarney’s statement that 200,000 Japanese troops were concentrated north of Australia was a most conservative estimate. MR CURTIN’S VIEWS We must have air superiority otherwise our naval and land forces will be subject to a test beyond their resources,” declared the Prime Minister, Mr Curtin, in a statement issued following a meeting of the Australian War Cabinet today. Mr Curtin added that he supported every word of General MacArthur. “Ever since the Casablanca conference, and its reaffirmation of Allied global strategy concentrating on the defeat of Hitler first, the Japanese have realised that time is on their side, in the Pacific,” said the Prime Minister. “This means that an opportunity is provided Japan to concentrate on the Pacific theatre.” It is pointed out that the Japanese had used up to 250 planes in their heavy attacks on New Guinea bases during the last few days. Probably 100 of these never got back. Allied bombers are continuing widespread attacks on Japanese airfields bases and shipping. A big Japanese freighter has been sunk off New Guinea.