MACARTHUR'S STRATEGY

Evening Star, Issue 24948, 20 August 1943, Page 3

MACARTHUR'S STRATEGY

BY-PASSING JAP. DEFENCES WH6LE NEW GUIHHA-RABAUL LINE UHBER THBEAT (Rec. 10.20 a.m.) NEW YORK. August 19. A clear summary of Allied strategy in the Southern Paeifio has been given by an assistant Chief'of Staff, Colonel Laurence Sherman, who has just returned from the combat area. Colonel Sherman told the 'New York Times' correspondent that the Americans arc building up a chain of air bases threatening the--entire Japanese New Guinea—Rabaul defence line. The American occupation of Vella Lavella by by-passing Kolombangara might bo very c.istly for the Japanese, whose dwindling air strength would be further split by the smashing air blows against We wall.

After tho capture. of Munda it was generally, assumed that General MacArthur would strike against Vila on Kolombangara across tho narrow waters of the Kula Gulf. Tho Japanese, therefore, reinforced Vila. But, instead of hurling troops against Vila, whose only feasible land approach was covered by the Japanese guns. ■ General MacArthur seized Vella Lavella almost without a fight, and was now in a position to choke off enemy reinforcements both to Kolombangara and New Georgia. The Japanese who customarily built inferior coral-surfaced airfields on the islands, had no constructed airfield at Vella Lavella, but the Americans, who lay steel mats, will certainly build a fighter strip on their new acquisition. Munda airfield was already in operation, and would afford fighter protection for our bombers based on Guadalcanal, attacking the entire Bougainville area, where .the Japanese were constructing four or five new aerodromes. Fighters could also protect our bombers attacking Raba<ul, which was the crucial anchor of the Japanese defence line. Hinting at further Allied departures from island-hopping warfare, ■ Colonel Sherman said the enemy base at Rekata Bay might be "another by-pass proposition." He added that the air victory at Wewak practically knocked out the known Japanese air strength in that area, and henceforth the depleted enemy air force in the New Britain-New Ireland sector must divide in its effort to protect the New Guinea bases.