WAR IN ISLANDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1943, Page 3

WAR IN ISLANDS

POSITION IMPROVING

(Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) A SOUTH PACIFIC BASE, Jan. 21. The United States forces on Guadalcanal are completing preparations in their own time for an offensive ' designed to clean out the several thousand Japanese troops who remain on the island. The latest communiques reporting gradual advances on the island and a considerable slaughter of Japanese indicate that the preliminaries have already begun. They suggest a straightening and consolidation of the western battle line, which runs from the coast a few miles to the west of Matanikau River, through patches of jungle and along grassy ridges, and then curves eastwards behind the Henderson flying field. The Americans are quietly confident about their prospects of destroying the Japanese force, or reducing it safely below the point at which it can be an embarrassment to the expansion of the air striking base on Guadalcanal. Time and initiative are on their side, and they can afford to make their plans with caution. Meanwhile the resistance of the Japanese is probably growing weaker as a result of the tight naval blockade, and as the Americans gain information about the strength and disposition of the enemy. Even the newly-arrived American reinforcements have had an opportunity to settle down and become acclimatised. In some important respects the United States ground forces face a task more difficult than that undertaken by the Marines in the original landing. That operation was a highly centralised affair, whereas today, as the westward advance continues, the problem of supplying the forward troops becomes increasingly heavy. -The Americans are meeting it with typical resourcefulness, driving new roads along the ridges and through the jungle, hard on the heels of the fighting men. But in parts of the line water, ammunition, and food have to be carried in, and wounded carried out^ by hand over extremely difficult country. •■ The nature of the fighting has changed too, as it has moved beyond the open grassy plains and knolls about the airfield; and entered the dense jungle. This spells the end of comparatively orthddox battle tactics, and the American patrols now have to stalk the elusive Japanese through jungle that looks very much like virgin New Zealand bush, They have to wipe out hidden snipers and machine-gun nests one by one, and meet ambush with ambush. At least the Japanese are no better off. TRANSPORTS UNMOLESTED. Perhaps fewer than ten thousand strong, the Japanese have for,,, many weeks been receiving only limited supplies. Recently they resorted to dropping food by parachute. Even if now in desperation they risk more ships to get supplies through, they will still be far behind the Americans in the race to reinforce. In all these weeks ship after ship has discharged its cargo of troops, ammunition, and food or fuel' at the American beach-head without being molested. The American ground forces are assured of and are in fact getting cooperation from the air. With flyingfields so close behind them, air sup-1 port can be rushed up to them in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, the American control of the sky is now securely held by squadrons of Grumman Wildcats, Bell Airacobras, Lockheed Lightnings, and Curtiss War~ hawks. New Zealand air and sea forces are playing an important part in the effective blockade of the Japanese-held coastline.' Reconnaissance bombers of the R.N.Z.A.F., on regular farreaching patrols, keep enemy shipping movements under close watch, acting as eyes for the American air striking forces. Mine-sweeping and anti-sub-marine ships of the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy have joined the flotilla of Allied war vessels patrolling the southern Solomons waters and screening the arrival and departure of freighters and transports. Morale on the island is good, in spite of the climate, t which, with its oppressive, sticky heat and regular tropical downpours, is one of the most unpleasant in the world. Food, which includes a considerable amount of fresh meat, with turkey on special occasions, is better than is to be found at some of the less advanced bases. The United States Army regiments relieving the marines in the line are rapidly becoming seasoned and "Japanese-wise."

Advice has been received of the death in a flying accident in England of Major Alan Rees Colman. Major Colman was a director of J. and J. Colman, Ltd., and Reckitt and Colman, Ltd.