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Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1942 THE SOLOMONS BATTLE

THE Japanese occupied the Solomon Islands almost bloodlessly. It is proving much more difficult for us to turn them out. Although they have been at Bougainville Island since 25th January and on Gaudalcanar only since the middle of June good use has evidently been made of the time to prepare against the type of amphibious counter-stroke now in progress. If we have to expel the enemy from each of their island gains in this way it may be a long and painful process. Chief among our objectives in the Solomons battle is repossession of the splendid harbour of Tulagi, which, like other parts of the group, was practically ungarrisoned and undefended until the Japanese came to show us how useful it could be. It is believed that enemy submarines hunting off the east coast of Australia are based somewhere in this area. Another aim is to nip off the end of the enemy-occupied arc of bases enveloping Northern Australia. The Solomons are the furthest point south reached by the Japanese. They jut out into the supply lines from America to Australia and New Zealand, at the same time providing a jumping-off place for any move to extend the enveloping arc to New Caledonia. If we can oust them from the Solomons this danger will recede. To the enemy the value of the Solomons lies almost solely in position and in the provision of advanced sea and air bases. We seek to rob them of those advantages and turn them to our own use. Moreover, it is necessary to remove the increasing strain on Port Moresby. So far enough has not been disclosed of the course of the battle to say what are the respective parts played in it by naval and air units but we may be sure that land-based planes are being extensively employed by both sides, as they were by the Americans in the Coral Sea and Midway battles. While making full use of their own ait strength the Allies aim to immobilise that of the Japanese by bombing afrodtomep on the islands for hundreds of miles around. Losses of ships arc admitted by the Americans and it will probably turn out that these have fallen victims to aircraft. The role of the aeroplane in amphibious warfare is great; perhaps it is decisive. In the Solomons we have not only to overcome sea and air opposition: but to get our troops ashore and keep; them there. Surprise allowed us to reap initial success but there >s no, word yet of how far we have been! able to follow it up. This is our! first offensive stroke in the Pacific. The time and place are of our own choosing and the enterprise will have to be persevered in even if the losses are heavy. As they have fanned out over a large expanse of the Pacific the Japanese have established outposts to screen their main bases and; take the first shock of counteraction, j The Solomons, besides being valuable; in themselves, protect the main; enemy-occupied base of Rabaul ini this way. If we could force them outi of this group, New Britain and New' Guinea would be uncovered and the Japanese could not then feel as secure there as they have done with the, Solomons in front acting both as an advanced base and as a shock- ; absorber.

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM19420812.2.59

Bibliographic details

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 4

Word Count
569

Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1942 THE SOLOMONS BATTLE Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1942 THE SOLOMONS BATTLE Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 4