U.S. PACIFIC OFFENSIVE

Grey River Argus, 12 August 1944, Page 5

U.S. PACIFIC OFFENSIVE

GUAM’S RECAPTURE Roosevelt at Pearl Harbour MEETING WITH MACARTHUR [Aus. & N.Z. Pros* Assn.J WASHINGTON, Aug. 10. Organised Japanese resistance on Guam Island ceased yesterday afternoon. Marines and infantry are now engaged in mopping-up operations. A Press correspondent stated: — This is black Thursday for Japan, as enemy resistance at Guam flickered faintly in the final stages of one of the Pacific’s strangest campaigns. Japanese in large numbers ran for their lives, instead of fighting to the death. It can be only a matter of hours before Guam is again an American possession. The Japanese lost at least 10 men for every American killed. Liberators dropped nearly 60 tons of bombs on Truk atoll at daylight on Tuesday. Venturas attabked Nauru before dawn on Tuesday, striking gun emplacements, and also during daylight Mitchells damaged Ponape. Super-Fortresses for the third time attacked industrial targets m the Nagasaki area, on the Japanese mainland. Another medium sized force attacked strategic targets in the vicinity of' Palembang, Sumatra, using bases in the south-east Asia Command. The attack on Nagasaki was from bases in China. . American submarines in the Pacific have sunk 16 more Japanese vessels, including one escort vessel, five cargo transport, nine cargo vessels, and one tanker. The total number of Jananese vessels sunk by the United States submarines is now 839. A Chungking telegram quotes a Tokio message that the Japanese Premier warned his people of the unprecedented gravity and difficulty of the situation facing Japan. The Allies were advancing on various parts of the fighting front. He adjured the people to do everything possible to meet the situation until Divine help comes to save them.

MARIANA CASUALTIES (Rec. 11.40) NEW YORK, Aug. 11. A Pacific Fleet communique states: American casualties on Guam up to Wednesday, when organised resistance ended, totalled 1214 k lied, 5704 wounded and 329 missing. We counter 10,971 enemy dead. Elimination of scattered enemy remnants continues. Final figures of American casualties on Tinian Island are: 190,.killed, 1515 wounded, 24 missing. Americans buried 5544 enemy dead, and took prisoners more than 400.

MR ROOSEVELT'S TOUR WASHINGTON, Aug. 10. Mr Roosevelt arrived at Pearl Harbour on July 26, by a cruiser from San Diego. Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur went aboard the President’s ship as soon as he arrived. “It is good to see you Doug,” the President greeted MacArthur. It was the first time that Mi- Roosevelt and General MiacArthur had met since Japan entered the war. After a conference with General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz, Mr Roosevelt conferred with Admiral Halsey, Major-General Richardson, Commander in Hawaii, and war chiefs, representing north and south and south-west Pacific theatres. “We are going back to the Philippines and MacArthur is going to be part of the operation,” Mr Roosevelt told reporters. “You can’t say whether the General is going back directly or via North Africa, but that he is going back is definite. We are going to give the islands their independence. Cur goal is still unconditional surrender for all our enemies. Whatever is required, we are going right through to clean up the Japanese.” Mr Roosevelt asked General MacArthur to take greetings to the men of the Pacific fighting fronts. “Tell them we are going to bring them back as soon as the safety of the country permits,” he said. In a speech to the Officers’ Club, Mr Roosevelt said: “From Hawaii we are conducting a campaign more advanced than any other campaign, the past effects of which are being felt all the way down to MacArthur’s area, which, thank the Lord, :s coming a little closer towards us, and automatically closer to the enemy than two years ago.” ' Mr Roosevelt made seven brief talks in two days, frequently to servicemen who were surprised to see the President rolling up in an open car escorted by jeeps. After inspecting Hawaii, the President described its conversion ipto« an island bristling with land, sea and air fighting power as the most amazing change he had ever seen. Virtually all scars of the Japanese .attack of December 7, 1941, have been eliminated. Instead of wreckage, the President saw acres of fighting planes, tanks and other battle equipment. He saw sugar cane plantations of two years ago converted into forests of war equipment. Mr Roosevelt travelled in a new speedy super-cruiser with tremendous fire-power. Hundreds of planes patrolled the seas, and the water was alive with battle-grev warships. Mr Roosevelt and the campaign chiefs conferred beneath the cool palms of Waikiki beach.

Addressing the officers Mr Roosevelt said: “I want to tell you about my experience. Reviewing here the last time, which was exactly ten years ago, I well remember there were some’ 12 first world war tanks, seven of which broke down before they could get past the reviewing stand. Half the trucks .also broke down. Only three-quarters of the aircraft managed to pass. Whether th'ey returned safely to earth I don’t know.”.

The President spent three days at Pearl Harbour. He visited every war installation and talked with ‘troops from Generals and Admirals down to wounded Privates, as they were lifted from hospital planes direct from Saipan. He said that at a meeting a programme was drawn up for a new offensive against Japan, which would bring about her unconditional surrender.

The U.S. War Publicity Chief, Mr Elmer Davis, who is en route to the South Pacific to inspect the office of war information stations, is a member of Mr Roosevelt’s party. Mr Roosevelt has sailed for an undisclosed destination.

NEW U.S.A MOVES (Rec. 12.36) NEW YORK, Aug. 11 Vice-Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner has announced the transfer of the amphibious Pacific Fleet Headquarters from Pearl Harbour to Saipan Island, reports the United Press correspondent with the fleet in the Marianas. He aded that it would be main- I tained there until he could move to a more forward base. Headquarters

are under construction both for his' force and for the commander of Pacific amphibious troops, bringing the | tactical directions of the trans-Paci-fic offensive to 1.500 miles from Japan, j ‘ We’ve got the number of Japanese,” i added Admiral Turner. "We know how to do it. General MacArthur knows how, the Navy kows how, soi-

knows how, the Navy knows how, solgoing to walk down Tokio’s Ginza soon,” In a mesage to Admiral Spruance, commander of the Fifth Fleet, Admiral Turner described the capture of the Marianas as the greatest naval victory the United States has ever won. RAID ON JAPAN NEW YORK, Aug. 11 The American Associated Press correspondent at a secret super-fortress base says: Returning raiders reported the bombing of Nagasaki and Palembang as successful. Large fires at Palembang with towering flames, masked an entire storage and refinery area. Large fires at Nagasaki ship-, yard spread rapidly to other sections The Palembang raid entailed the war’s longest bombing 3,600: miles round trip. It will force Japan to transport crude oil home re fineries and reship aviation fuel W fio-htine fronts, imposing a neaviex stfainon Japan’s already groggy shaping .