JAPANESE STRATEGY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 5

JAPANESE STRATEGY

CAUTION ON THE • SEA

NOT SIGN OF WEAKNESS

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Rec. noon.) SYDNEY, Feb. 18. "It would be naive to interpret the refusal of the Japanese fleet to give battle with Admiral Halsey's forces as a sign of weakness. Japan's existence depends on keeping her navy in being, and the acceptance of challenges to fight at sea, except under promising conditions, plays no part in the Japanese ideas of war," says the "Sydney Morning Herald" today in an editorial comment on the outcome of the recent naval operations in -the Pacific.

• Throughout the war, it adds, the Japanese have carefully husbanded their battleships, while severe losses of aircraft-carriers have deepened their need for cautious naval strategy aimed at wearing down the potentially stronger American naval power. Air attacks such as resulted in the loss of the cruiser Chicago are undoubtedly intended to be Japan's favoured method of countering American naval strength. MORE AIR POWER ESSENTIAL. The "Herald" points out that the Japanese did not abandon Guadalcanal until they had consolidated air bases within striking distance of the American supply lines to Guadalcanal, and protecting the south-eastern approaches to their key base at Rabaul. | "Thus, Allied air superiority in the South Pacific, to enable enemy bases to be rendered practically untenable by their air fleets, is an indispensable prerequisite to our further advances. Only the growth of our air power, both in the South and the South-west Pacific theatre, will prepare the way for the piercing of the defensive but still threatening arc which Japan is feverishly completing from Celebes to the Solomons."

Commentators here point out that the strength of Admiral Halsey's naval forces has been comfortingly indicated' by the Japanese discretion. Throughout Australia a keen sense of loss is being felt at the sinking of the Chicago, which came to this country in March, 1941, as flagship of the United States squadron. It has been announced that the city of Chicago proposes to raise 12,500,000 dollars to replace the lost warship, which was known as "The Gangster of the Pacific." HOW THE BATTLE HAPPENED. The "New York Times" declares editorially that the Japanese losses in accomplishing their mission of evacuating forces from Guadalcanal were not over-heavy from the enemy standpoint. Pointing out that undisclosed damage may have been inflicted upon American ships, the paper claims that the American naval losses were substantial.1 "Apparently the descent of the Japanese rescue fleet, with battleships' and aircraft-carriers, almost synchronised with the approach of the American task force convoying transports to Guadalcanal. Twenty enemy destroyers took the remnants of their beaten force from Cape Esperance when our main naval forces swept northward. The Japanese capital i units from Truk withdrew to safer waters, pursued by our ships and: planes. It was in this flight that the i Japanese suffered their chief losses." \