A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 270, 13 August 1942, Page 4

A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Solomon. Islands AUSTRALIAN COMMENT ON ATTACK For some reason Australian com- . rnent on the offensive action in the Solomon Islands shows a tendency to write down its importance. The reason for this is difficult to assess. For some time Australian opinion has been •" suggesting that- the Pacific battle area was a "forgotten” area, and that the higher direction of the world war was devoting; too much attention to Europe and the Middle East at its expense. Now that the Unifed Nations’ (chiefly American) forces have passed from defence to attack, however limited, it would seem that Australian opinion is still not satisfied. They want something more, and that more may possibly be an offensive in their own area, directed, perhaps, immediately against the Japanese infiltration of New Guinea. This, perhaps justifiably, they regard as a most serious threat to the Australian mainland. From the point of view of sound strategy, however, the Solomon Islands move is probably far better grounded. An attack through New Guinea would be a spearhead into a salient. Japanese-held bases on either side would provide excellent sallypoints against United Nations’ communications. Attack via the Solomons, however, has the advantage that it is secure on its flanks by island groups and the Australian mainland, still free from Japanese. ' . At the same time the Solomons, when regained, can provide excellent ground for a further advance, specially against New Britain and-. Rabaul. As explained on a previous occasion, Rabaul is the main base from which Japan is maintaining the offensive in New Guinea, so that'the Australian desire to relieve the pressure there may be more easily and more safely attained through the Solomon Islands. Difficulties In Solomons Such news as has come from the new . battlefield shows that the attacking force is having anything but an easy task. After the-initial surprise had been overcome, the Japanese began to fight back hard, and it has -been made clear by statements from responsible United States officials and leaders that considerable losses must be expected. The reports of hand-to-hand struggles strengthen this expectation. The task before the United Nations’ forces is very different from those which faced the Japanese in their victorious advance in the south Pacific earlier in the year. Then the forces opposing the advance were thinly strung out and ill-equipped with aircraft and other armament. The forces opposing the United Nations’ landings in the Solomons are fully equipped, and there is no doubt that the air opposition is very considerable, in spite of the day and night offensive against Japanese air -bases throughout the neighbouring islands. It must be expected, therefore, that the retaking of the lost islands will be comparatively slow and costly, and that similar trouble will be encountered at each stage of the reconquest of the south and west Pacific.