OFFENSIVES IMMINENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24631, 9 July 1943, Page 3

OFFENSIVES IMMINENT

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN AXIS AND NEUTRAL BELIEF (Reed. 7.16 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 7 Allied offensives are imminent in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to reports reaching high neutral naval quarters in Turkey, says the Ankara correspondent of the New York Times. It is not expected in Ankara that an early attempt will be made to invade the Greek or Thracian mainland, but it is believed a series of terrific blows are imminent against Crete, which then will be used as a springboard for an Allied leap on South-east Europe. Invasions within a fortnight are feared by the Axis. The Germans are reported to have invoked a state of siege on Crete, Scarpanto and Leros, and also have warned the Italians to maintain a constant alert against attempted aerial or naval landings on the isles guarding the coasts of Greece ana Thrace. Allied submarines and E-boats are • said to be operating in strength in the Aegean, while Allied long-range bombers are flying over the Greek coast daily and nightly in operations which mostly are not reported either in Allied or Axis communiques. CLAIMS TO DODECANESE LONDON, July 7 Pointing out that Turkey will not be ignored in the post-war settlements, <lie Ankara newspaper Yeni Sabah says: "We hear that Greeks in Egypt organised a meeting and demanded that the Dodecanese he returned to Greece. The Dodecanese were Turkish until 1911, when Italy occupied them. The people who gathered in Cairo, loudly reclaiming the territories, should remember Mr. Churchill's ad vice during the Kusso-Polish controversy—that discussions regarding frontiers should be postponed until after the war." JAPANESE INTENTIONS WRITER'S SPECULATION (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 9.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 8 ''The Japanese failure to undertake serious counter-moves against the new American offensive indicates that the enemy might he preparing eventually to abandon the Solomons. Xcw Britain and New Ireland after inflicting as much damage as possible on the Allies," says Lewis Sebring, the war correspondent of the Now York HeraldTribune in the South-west Pacific. "The Japanese would then retire to strong defensive positions on the north coast of New Guinea, the Southern East Indies and Truk in order to protect the East: Indies and the Philippines." Mr. Sebring points out that the Japanese Solomons holdings are now extremely vulnerable to Allied air attacks from New Guinea and Guadalcanal- and the capture of Munda would render them even more vulnerable. "These areas arc liable to become more of a hindrance to the Japanese than an asset, since they represent a disadvantageous flank stuck out in the Allies' face," says Mr. Sebring. "The Japanese have devoted much more time in the last six months to building up their defences in Northern New Guinea. Dutch New Guinea, and the Arafnra and Timor Seas area than in -the JSew •Britain-Solomons area. The do-1 monstrated weakness at the latter points indicates either that something has slipped or the Japanese have onlv a sentimental interest in holding them long enough to save their face." DARWIN BATTLE RESULTS (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. IMS p.m.) SYDNEY, July 8 South-west Pacific headquarters today announced amended figures for the f>Sth Japanese raid on Darwin, made on Tuesday. It is now reported than 10 enemy bombers and two fighters were destroyed and one bomber and three fighters damaged. RECIPROCAL AID LONDON. July 8 An example of the significance of the term United Nations is the "give and take" basis on which the British Navy co-operates with the United States Navy. All joint resources are pooled and the question of money does not enter. When an American ship puts into a British port, she is treated as if she were flying the Union Jack, and not the Stars and Stripes. ;