Pacific War Position Has Improved Strategically

Northern Advocate, 21 December 1942, Page 4

Pacific War Position Has Improved Strategically

WELLINGTON. This Day. ‘‘The strategical position of New Zealand in regard to the Pacific has improved considerably during the last six months,” said the General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military Forces, Lieutenant-General E. Puttick, D. 5.0., in an interview yesterday. He said this was due to the following facts: —

(a) Increased strength of the United States forces in the Pacific and Australia, with consequent increased power of mutual support by the forces stationed in the various localities. (b) A severe check to the Japanese advance by operations at Midway Island, the Solomons and New Guinea, and severe Japanese losses, especially naval, merchant shipping and air losses. (c) Increased strength of New Zealand's foi’ces through the arrival of very large quantities of equipment; progress in training and experience of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the mobilised forces and Home Guard, and improved defences, including additional coast and anti-aircraft units. A Weakening Influence “On the other hand,’’ said General Puttick, “there has been a reduction in the readiness of the Army for immediate action, due to the heavy drawoff of men for industry. This situation requires that sufficient warning of impending attacks should be received to allow men to join units should an emergency arise. It is reasonable to expect that warning of the probability of a serious attack would be received. “It must be realised, however, that the security of New Zealand depends largely on the Allied naval and air forces maintaining supremacy and Army forces holding, their positions against the Japanese. If this supremacy 'were lost, the danger to New Zealand would increase.

“Therefore, it is important that our plans should provide for the men who have been released from the Army rapidly rejoining in an emergency and for their training to proceed, as far as circumstances permit, in the meantime. In addition, men who have been exempted from service should also ’receive training to enable them either to join the forces at once in an emergency or to form a reserve of reinforcements.”

Replying to an inquiry as to whether he considered from his experience that men over 35 could be turned into fighting men. well able to stand the physical and mental strain of service, say, in the Middle East, General Puttick said that men between 35 and 40 were able to stand active operations and make efficient soldiers. Those unlikely to stand the strain would be discovered during their initial training. It was probable that men of these ages would show a slightly higher proportion of sickness through rheumatism and allied complaints than younger men. The older men in camp were reported as making excellent progress. They were a stabilising influence on the younger men.

Information on training methods and experiences in the Middle East and the Pacific iwas readily available both to the United States and New Zealand forces, concluded General Puttick. In the New Zealand Army this information was widely distributed and was studied at the staff college, the tactical school and Army and district schools of instruction.