WAR IN PACIFIC

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 83, 8 April 1943, Page 4

WAR IN PACIFIC

HELP FOR MacARTHUR

ADMIRAL URGES OFFENSIVE

(0.C.) SAN FRANCISCO, Mar. 21.1 During the height of a vigorous campaign, for the United States to send urgent help to General Douglas Mac Arthur, Vice-Admiral John W. Greenslade, Twelfth Naval District and Western Sea Frontier commandant, in an address in San Francisco before the Propeller Club, said that General Mac Arthur "could use and should have more sea support." Need for additional support in Mac Arthur's valiant fight against the Japanese forces in the Pacific was outlined by the admiral—who is topranking Pacific coast naval officer in analysing the vast problem of wartime shipping and supply m this theatre of war. "Carrying the offensive from island to island calls for transports, landing craft and light armed forces, all protected by the navy, Admiral Greenslade said. "Naval opposition by the Japanese must be met, and until the Japanese Navy and Air Force are reduced to relative inferiority our operations and attendant logistic support will be carried on under considerable jeopardy. (Logistics is the military term emI bracing the entire scope of supplies for, and maintenance of armed forces, as well as the phases of transport involved.) "In general, the admiral continued, a supply line of ships from Australia to Port Moresby can keep General MacArthur's campaign supplied. its menace lies mainly in enemy air and submarine attacks. j "Additional aid in the Pacific," Admiral Greenslade added, ' does not stop with the requirements of Macarthur. In far greater danger, he declared, "are Admiral Halsey s advance supply lines, for Japanese forces of every category are within striking distance of his line of supply ships. To win his campaign, his forces must keep moving from objective to objective. In both cases supplies must be readily available close behind the line of attack. There must be sufficient ships to provide transport with enough surplus to absorb losses by enemy action. It would be disastrous if either force should run short of food or punitive equipment. This happened, you will remember, to the Japanese on Guadalcanal Thus, as logistic support to both General Mac Arthur and Admiral Halsey in their offensive campaigns, men and material must be fed into the Pacific theatres of war. The extent of such supplies is governed by the requirements and activities of the commanders in the field. The supply should exceed rather than fall short of needs. Mobility Vital Admiral Greenslade declared the "recent startling and brilliant success" of General Mac Arthur's air force under Lieu tenant-Genea-al George C. Kenney "brings to mind the increasing mobility that will be required of our logistic support. Looking toward the future operations in the Pacific, the admiral said: "The next series of moves ; whether far to the westward via Torres Strait, around the north ol New Guinea; via Rabaul to Truk or from Pearl Harbour direct to Truk will call again for a major logistic effort. It will call for the advance c supply lines and supporting activities close behind the tactical theatre ol operations." American successes at Midway, the Coral Sea and in the Solomons, he asserted, have secur/d the supply lines of the south and south-wesl Pacific from "major menace," but not from "interruptive raids." The admiral admitted that the Pearl Harbour attack of December 7, 1941, knocked the navy's overall logistic plans "into a cocked hat.' He warned that "regardless of how brilliantly a defensive action may be conducted, it is only by taking the offensive that, victory can be won.' While Lieutenant-General George C. Kenney, Allied air commander ir the South Pacific, was in Washing ton he declared that Japanese pilot? are "unquestionably deteriorating' in quality, while "our first team if just beginning to get into the line.' He praised the spirit of collaborator between American and Australiar forces in the South Pacific area anc 1 asserted that long range bombing '< operations by aeroplanes uneler Mac Arthur's command had assisted ir i bringing to a successful end the Guadalcanar campaign. Both th< Guadalcanal' and New Guinea force; of the United Nations were assistec greatly by the bombing of the Jap anese supply base at Rabaul, he said Commenting on the morale of Unitec States flyers, General Kenney said "It is high. It is so high It scare; us."