THE ATTACK ON TRUK BEGINS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1944, Page 4

THE ATTACK ON TRUK BEGINS

"TO-DAY'S communique from Pacific is one of the most important and portentous that has ever been issued in this sector of the world-wide battlefield. Its importance lies not only in the fact that Truk, Japan's Pearl Harbour, has been bombed by several hundred planes and bombarded by a task force, but also from the fact that the commanding officer deliberately uses the words "commenced an attack," in describing the operations. This is evidently intended to mean that the operation is yet incomplete, and to warn the Japanese that it is no hit-and-run affair, but the beginning of an attempt to reduce a fortress built over 35 years into Gibraltar-like strength, big enough to accommodate not only the Japanese fleet but all the navies of the world, supplied with every imaginable ground defence against air and sea attack, and completely equipped witn seaplane and aeroplane bases. Truk is the great outer bastion in Japan's "wall of steel" guarding the inner empire; the Gilberts and the Marshalls, its outliers, were not, of course, nearly so powerful, though they were fortified with all the strength that Japan could spare for them. Their rapid reduction was a masterpiece of naval and aerial strategy, and now comes the proof that the American High Command took them, in their stride, as a preparation for the much greater adventure, the reduction of Truk, whose fall will be a terrific blow both to Japan's prestige and her protective belt. The quick launching of the attack shows how well the other operations were planned as subsidiaries to this greater blow, how splendidly the whole set of operations, from the Kuriles to Wewak, have been co-ordinated into one continuous squeeze which will slowly develop its crushing strength round the whole perimeter of Japan's empire. It is much too early yet to begin counting chickens, or to assume that this new offensive will meet with the same success as those of the past few months, but the mere fact that the naval task force was able to get within gun range of the island fortress is of the highest significance. It means that the Japanese Navy, which may yet be forced to do it, js most reluctant to risk a trial of strength with even a portion of the American Navy—admittedly a very solid portion and probably including battleships, cruisers and a whole fleet of aircraft-carriers. When the teeth of this force have settled into the flank of home defence, it must be a strong temptation to a naval Power like Japan to show its strength, but as yet there is no sign of an acceptance of this open challenge to "come out and fight." The last time a big naval convoy set out from Truk was when heavy reinforcements were sent to the Marshalls after the loss of the Gilberts. The American forces fell upon them with the greatest enthusiasm, two light cruisers and four merchant ships were sunk, four other transports were damaged and 72 aircraft were brought down. The Japanese were thus hit where they are least able to bear it, in their auxiliary fleet and air cover. They have not repeated the experiment. The ascendancy which was then demonstrated has enabled Admiral Nimitz to carry out his most audacious plans, and certainly he has lost no time in emphasising his ability to do things which were impossible a few short months ago. He now appears to be determined to outflank Rabaul and to cut into the "waist" of the Japanese island defences, following up the attack on Truk, when he has either captured or neutralised the base —for it is not likely now, though information is still entirely lacking, that he will stop short of one of these—with movements through Wake and Marcus Islands towards the heart of Japan. The enemy is naturally choosing his own area for the fleet action, the weaker Power must always do that, but he will have to fight when his "waist" feels the real pressure of the American boa-constrictor. And meantime the dice are being steadily loaded against him by the United States superior rate of construction of big ships, ancillary craft and aircraftcarriers. These will help to offset the tremendous advantage which will be with Japan's choice of a battle area close to home, but the lessons of Tsushima, when surprise and the distance of the Russians from their base brought utter disaster, have not been lost either upon the Americans or their British allies, and when the navy of the Rising Sun turns at bay it will not meet the disorganised and demoralised fleet which Admiral Togo sank. The shattering of other defences, the battering of Rabaul, the steady defeats of the Japanese in New Guinea, are all parts of a successfully developing plan for driving the enemy back on to his "Fortress East Asia." It will be a long job, and we will have to meet many difficulties before it is accomplished, but the attack on Truk shows a spirit of determination which will brook no defeat.