LIKELY SOON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1943, Page 4

LIKELY SOON

BEGINNING OF NEW MAJOR ; OFFENSIVE AGAINST JAPAN IN PACIFIC ACCORDING TO WASHINGTON OBSERVERS. PROSPECTS OF MACARTHUR’S CAMPAIGN. (By Telegraph—(Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 3. Everything points to the beginning of a new major Allied offensive in the Pacific, Washington observers believe. General MacArthur has received substantial additions to his Air Force in recent months and troops sent to the Southern Pacific include many seasoned veterans. The United States Navy in the Pacific has also been considerably strengthened recently. “It now appears that all the Allied forces in the Pacific are converging for a combined offensive against Japan,” says.the well-informed “United States News.” Stating that the future looks brighter for General MacArthur’s campaign, the paper adds: “His men are new in a position to strike the first great offensive blow against Japan. This is almost certain to be aimed against Rabaul, the possession of which will mean that the Allies are well up the ladder leading to the Philippines and Tokio. General MacArthur until new has been winning on a shoestring and it is a military miracle.”

Despatches from Pearl Harbour suggest that military events of unusual' importance will take place in the Pacific during November and December. The New York “Herald-Tribune” says that, as the Allies begin to secure bases for an offensive against Japan the need for a single strategy becomes more and more imperative. “The situation,” it says, “is not acute, because it will be some time before either India, Australia or Hawaii can mount a major offensive, but the problem exists and some British opinion is already calling for a single Pacific General Staff to conduct the entire war against Japan. The creation of such a command would be difficult, perhaps impossible, but this is certain —there must be some higher integration of the Pacific war.” FEVERISH EFFORTS BY JAPANESE MILITARISTS. TO ORGANISE “LAST MAN” DEFENCE. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, November 3. The Japanese militarists are making strenuous efforts to achieve a total mobilisation of all Asia to meet the anticipated Allied attacks, which they warn their people \&ill be crucial, said Mr Russell Brines, an Associated Press correspondent who has reached Port Elizabeth from Japan aboard the repatriation ship Gripsholm. Mr Brines has been interned in Japan since the outbreak of the. Pacific war. He added: “The Japanese militarists are feverishly attempting to utilise to the full the resources and manpower of the newly-conquered territories in the construction of a series of defence, lines for the vaunted last man battle for the Japanese empire. Despite the censorship, these trends are discernible: ■Firstly, the Japanese are anticipating a big Allied land smash against Burma. Secondly, the militarists are still holding sizeable and presumably crack forces in Manchuria, to protect their rear against Russia and also possibly are maintaining other key units in the Netherlands East Indies and Malaya. Thirdly, they are exploiting to the full raw materials, all of which are diverted to war production, in which they are ■ utilising a considerable amount of forced labour. Fourthly, the controlled Press is slowly preparing the people of Asia for the long defensive battles ahead. Morale appears to be, unshaken in Japan, although some unrest is reported in other parts of the empire. BURMA & THE INDIES. “General indications are that the militarists plan to use Indian and Burmese’ troops as much as posisble for the defence of Burma and a ‘Chinese Peace Preservation Corps’ is being trained to take over patrol duty in thinly-garrisoned areas in China. My impression is that the Japanese land forces will fight desperately for Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies, whose raw materials are vital and also for .strategic areas in Central and North China, and Manchuria, from which Allied planes could threaten Japans industrial centres. -Informed observers believe that there are 650,000 Japanese troops in Manchuria as a bulwark against Russia and to prevent . any American use of Siberia. There is no evidence at present that either Russia oi’ Japan intend to start trouble in that vital area, because neutrality best serves the purposes of both. All the evidence points to the Japanese lines in China being .thinly held and the warfare there is virtually a , stalemate. Some sources report that the Japanese have only 94,000 troops in the Pnilippines, which are apparently considered another flank to the main strategic areas. Even assuming that there are sizeable contingents in the Solomons, Japan proper and Burma, this means that there are still, extensive units elsewhere. The most likely guess is that the strongest and some of the 'bestequipped troops are in the Netherlands East Indies and Malaya in ‘last ditch’ positions protecting their resources.” BLOODY FIGHTING IF JAPANESE TRY TO HOLD BOUGAINVILLE. AND EVACUATION WOULD MEAN SLAUGHTER. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Bloody fighting is ahead if the Japanese try to hold Bougainville, in the Northern Solomons. But if they attempt to evacuate, slaughter on the scale of the Battle of Guadalcanal (last November, when 20,000 Japanese died at sea) may re- i suit. |

These opinions are expressed by an Australian- war correspondent in the South Pacific area. He points out that there can be no piecemeal evacuation

from Bougainville, as from New Georgia, because this time the Japanese have no haven near at -hand. Any attempt at evacaution must be on a large scale, from the north, giving Admiral Halsey his long-awaited opportunity for fresh blows against Japanese shipping strength. Land fighting on Bougainville would have its difficulties both for the American and Japanese forces —but especially for the Japanese. United States Marines have landed at the narrow “waist” of Bougainville, which is a wild, mountainous, roadless, jungle-matted island, 120 miles long and 50 miles across at its widest. The Japanese forces have been split in two by the Marines’ landing and the enemy would find an approach to the Empress Augusta Bay beachhead from either north or south' extremely difficult. A Japanese drive from Kahili, in the south, would involve 45 miles of travel along a narrow coastal track. A drive down the coast from Buka, in the north, would be even more diffi-cult-involving 63 miles of roadless travel. Any fighting on Bougainville is likely to involve the natives. Bougainville's 62,000 natives arc fierce warriors and tribal battles among' them have always been frequent.