Plans For Continuing
(Official N.Z.E.F. War Correspondent) SOUTH PACIFIC H.QRS., Jan. 18. Ftear-Admiral Robert B. Carney, chief of staff to Admiral Halsey, in an interview today, summarised the successful Bougainville campaign and made observations on the course of the Pacific war. He told war correspondents: “Our campaign against Bougainville was launched primarily to give us bases close enough to Rabaul to give us fighter cover for sustained bomber attacks on that stronghold IL was a matter of geometry. We figured the action radius of our fighters and how long we needed them over this target. Then we picked Empress Augusta Bay as a logical objective. We expected that the landing would provoke violent Japanese reaction. We actually looked forward tc by-produfets. Almost Complete Surprise “Because we had feinted at Choiseul, Shortlands, and elsewhere, the surprise was almost complete at Empress Augusta Bay. Then we poured troops into our beachhead faster than the enemy could counter. In addition he sent forces into Choiseul and Shortlands along with heavy equipment which became a distinct liability, i “Even Japanese hastily-produced artillery failed to halt our aggressive troops at Torokina. “They went after Tojo's prowlers with a spirit of confidence that smashed every Japanese effort before it got started. Ground operations had been perfectly executed. First major -Japanese reaction was to bring down from Truk ships to replace those lost in battle on November 1 and 2 and further supplement their surface strength in the New Britain area, so that we hit them with carriers in the strike on November 5. hitting all 10 cruisers found at Rabaul. “Six days later we did it again, mainly to convince the enemy that we could hit him any time we wanted. These outstandingly successful raids proved that his bases were not immune to well-directed carrier operations.
Outstanding Performance "Under continuous air cover we pushed completion of three airfields within the Empress Augusta Bay perimeter. The bomber strip especially was a magnificent job. It was an outstanding performance by Seabees—an outfit which was virtually the spearhead of the South Pacific campaign. Thus with air support we now con trol the sea well northward of Buko Island. “The Japanese were forced to resort to night barge traffic between New Ireland and Buka for evacuation and supply. The enemy is not only getting through insufficient to implement any offensive action, but we will actually starve him out as at Kolombangara. In effect, we surrounded the whole island by one landing.” Round-The-Clock Assaults Rear-Admiral Carney said that the Japanese had given up all attempts to hold Buka and Bougainville airfields in use. They are operating only a few float-planes out in this area. “Now we are conducting round-the-clock assaults on Rabaul. including highly damaging masthead-level attacks on shipping, installations and iow altitude attacks against airfield revetments,” he said. “The Japanese have reacted with a few puny raids in the New Georgia area, but it is doubtful if they could maintain even that face. Their desperate efforts to maintain contacts in Buka have been soundly punished, especially by Captain Burke's destroyers. There is no question that Buka ; s already a liability to the Japanese. Rabaul, Kavieng Next “Plainly the next points of Japanese strength are Rabaul and Kaveing. It is evident that South Pacific and South-west Pacific forces are pushing along their respective areas towards eliminating these bases.
“They are next on the list. We plan to put them out, but just how we will do it, will be something the enemy least expects. It is not in accordance with Ihe familiar pattern.”
Surveying the offensive from the Gilberts to the Solomons, Rear-Ad-miral Carney said that between these two areas the only Japanese holding which they might use to advantage was Nauru Island. "It is not logical to expect us to permit him to occupy this salient much longer,” he said. Christmas operations on Rabaul were of diversionary pressure exerted to keep the enemy air strength spread during General MacArthur’s lightning operations on Cape Gloucester. Enemy Confidence Lost
Then New Year’s Day carrier strike caught two cruisers and two destroyers. indicating that the Japanese were still running an occasional section of the Tokio express. “Our continual aerial observation in Rabaul and Kavieng indicates that Ihe enemy has already lost confidence in his ability to use these bases for anything of great value,” he said. “He knows his number is up. We have proved we can hit him exactly when and where we want. By co-ordinat-ing our forces in the air and on the sea, we will blockade his New Britain and New Ireland forces which may total about 100.000 men. It is even possible that he might attempt to evacuate Rabaul if it becomes really untenable and if he can find means to withdraw. How long will he stick it out? He- quit Kolombangara after five Wish Not Fulfilled “Evacuation south of Bougainville has already begun overland and by barge. He would dearly love to get out of Choiseui if he could. If he evacuates we win the easy way. If he tries to hang on, we have a better chance of battering his ships, planes and ground forces. The enemy would like us to become entangled in a rearguard action instead of employing our present tactics. This would delay us in our movement into his stolen empire, but we are not going to play right into his hands in that way.”
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Northern Advocate, 19 January 1944, Page 2
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901Plans For Continuing Northern Advocate, 19 January 1944, Page 2
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