NEVER BRIGHTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1943, Page 4

NEVER BRIGHTER

ALLIED OUTLOOK IN SOUTH PACIFIC SERIOUS DILEMMA FACED BY JAPANESE. LACK OF LAND-BASED AIR SUPPORT. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The outlook in the Southern Pacific has never been brighter, de- p dares an Australian war correspondent at General MacArthur s Headquarters. “The Allies have wrested every tactical advantage from the Japanese in a series of bitter land battles, and have gained control of the air. “Against our pincer thrusts from the Solomons and New Guinea areas,” the correspondent continues, “the enemy cannot hope to hold their main marshalling base of Rabaul unless they endeavour to stabilise the situation by risking a good part of their usual strength. A continuation of their pres-

ent nolicy of dribbling in stop-gap reinforcements will merely involve losses requiring a ready reckoner to compute. Admiral Halsey’s 'evident con-,, fidence in recent thrusts is backed by massive reserves of naval and air striking power. Responsible Allied commanders, however, do not expect the Japanese to venture a carrier-covered fleet within range of the Allies’ newlywon land bases. ‘•'The loss of the Northern Solomons and Rabaul would dangerously expose the Japanese big naval base in Truk, 830 miles north of Rabaul. Such an Allied success might also pave the way for a thrust through the Central Pacific. Thus, in the defence of their dwindling holdings in the Southern Pacific, the Japanese face a grave and costly dilemma. “The present situation on this front is that, firstly, the Japanese have not sufficient air bases from which to deploy the plane strength essential, for ah cffecive defence; secondly, a major enemy fleet is not likely to venture into these waters without land-based air protection; thirdly, the Japanese land forces seem incapable of winning back the lost bases without sustained and large-scale naval support. The sharp decline in Japanese fortunes in. this area began following the secret meeting between General MacArthur and Admiral Halsey on the Australian mainland early in June. Since then the enemy has been steadily forced into a corner, lacking any simple -escape alternatives.’”