DRIVE NORTH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20966, 14 December 1942, Page 3

DRIVE NORTH

ALLIES PREPARING DOUBLE THRUSTS MAIN AIMS ATTAINED SOLOMONS CAMPAIGN (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (10.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, Doc. 13. The United Press’ correspondent at Pearl Harbour says that weil-informed quarters believe the United Nations are preparing a double-barrelled offensive. i The steady mopping up of the Japanese on Guadalcanal* and the advances in New Guinea are 'believed to mean that the Allies will soon have strong springboards from which to launch a real offensive for which supplies anil equipment are moving steadily to the southern Solomons.

It is excpectc-d that when the time comes the forces on Guadalcanal* will move northward towards Bougainville and General Mac Arthur’s troops will move north-east toward New Britain. News fr.om the south-west Pacific is evidence that General MacArthur is londucting a very belligerent “holding” campaign against Japan, writes the military commentator of the newspaper P.M. The strength of the land forces under General MacArthur and sea-power under Admiral C. Nimitz and Admiral W. M. Halsey in the Pacific theatre have never been disclosed and there is doubt as to whether they are capable of launching an offensive, possibly against Timor. At the present time most observers are convinced that we should be eontent to consolidate the strong advanced positions in New Guinea and the Solomons until a greater portion of our dispersed strength can _be diverted to the south-west Pacific. General MacArthur’s intensive drive in New Guinea and our determined hold on the Solomons are necessary for mfety’s sake. They say that so long as we can hold these strong positions, the Japanese will be unable to strike at New Caledonia, New Zealand, or Australia. Unlike land warfare as on the Russian front, for instance, ' the enemy cannot by-pass such Allied bases' safely. Their supply lines could be harassed constantly from Guadalcanal' and New Guinea if they, were so bold as to try to extend their enerone.hihent further southward. Supply Line Threat Smashed

The major objectives in the battle jf. Guadalcanal - and the Solomons have been accomplished, according to Major-General Vandegrift, commander of the American forces on Guadalcanal*. The Japanese threat to Australia's and New" Zealand’s supply lines had been smashed and more than 7000 Japanese have been killed in land actions alone on Guadalcanal - . The enemy remnants were still being mopped up. The Japanese had lost 10 men in the ground actions for every one lost by the Americans. Major-General Vandegrift issued a warning that the Japanese might take advantage of the inclement weather to land reinforcements on Guadalcanal-.

“But,” he added , “all that remains of the present task is to exterminate the Japanese still on the island.” After a month’s absence a bearded and footsore detachment of .Marines, who had planned a 48-hour raid against the Japanese, have just returned with hair-raising tales of their exploits in the jungle. They killed more than 300 enemy troops and destroyed three artillery emplacements. The raiders were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel E. Vans Oartlso.n, who was loader of the raid on Island on August 17.

Attack on Japanese Shipipng:

The Navy Department reports that on Wednesday 11 Flying Fortresses and eight fighters attacked enemy shipping in Faisi harbour in the Solomons. Three bomb hits wore scored on a tanker find two straddled a second tanker. The lighters shot down live intereeptiong Zeros and Flying Fortresses destroyed another. All the American planes returned undamaged. Flying Fortresses bombed a Japanese flying field at Munda, in New Georgia. Ground activity on Guadalcanal' was limited to patrol contacts with small enemy groups. A Japanese artillery position, containing mortars ancl machine-guns, was silenced. The naval spokesman pointed out that the flying field at Munda, 150, miles from the American positions on Guadalcanal is a new installation, the maintenance of which would enable the Japanese to concentrate considerable fighter forces for attacks on Guadalcanal - , which they had been unable to do in recent weeks.