ALLIED PUSH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25240, 1 June 1943, Page 2

ALLIED PUSH

THE SOUTH PACIFIC INITIATIVE GAINED OFFENSIVE PROPHESIED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 31. “We have the initiative and we shall push from here. We shall push from New Guinea and we shall push the sons of guns back home if we can,” said Rear-admiral Theodore Stark Wilkinson, de-puty-commander to Admiral Halsey in the South Pacific, when dealing with plans in the area at an interview to-night, “ The relations between the South Pacific and South-west Pacific commands are being closely co-ordinated,” he added. “They are cordial and cooperative. They are so closely linked that they must be.” Rear-admiral Wilkinson said that the successful United States action in the Aleutians would, in his opinion, distract the Japanese in these areas and might cause a withdrawal of some forces to strengthen their defences in that direction. “It will not distract our offensive down here, I assure you,’ he commented. Admiral Halsey had said last January that he considered New Zealand’s position reasonably safe. Since then the position had been consolidated by the .capture of Guadalcanar and other islands. The Allied forces had increased strength on the ground and particularly in the air. They could detect through those air forces any Japanese advance in strength and could, Admiral Wilkinson thought, intercept and break it up with land find aircraft-carrier based aircraft. Enemy's Shipping Losses Admiral Wilkinson said that Japan s shipping position was critical. “ I believe.” he said, “ it is her most critical point. She was not too well supplied when war began, and what she was able to seize from Franec and other countries is far less than she has lost. Moreover, her shipbuilding facilities are limited.” In his estimation Japan now. had only 50 to 6Q submarines. Rabaul had undoubtedly been developed as a submarine base, and if Japan liked to divert all her submarines to the area the Allies might have an increase in her attack. It was probable there wduld be continued activity by her submarines, but he would not venture to say whether it would decrease or increase. The main convoy route from the United States had been singularly free from losses. There nad been some minor and regrettable losses in the South Pacific. When operations were first started there had been difficulties with the quick turn-round of ships. The facilities for discharge in the islands were poor, but they had now been improved, and the turn-round was much quicker, with the result that the shipping position was corrrespondingly improved. There had been allocations ot additional ships to the run, so that the position was now quite satisfactory. He had heard no criticism of the speed of the turn-round in New Zealand, but said that afty improvement which could be effected would be to the good. Admiral Wilkinson described a new type of craft which had been developed for the carriage and quick discharge of material in landing operations. These vessels, he said, were of shallow draft forward, though deep aft, and could run against beaches where they were not too shallow. Their bows then opened sideways and a landing platform was let down between the doors. “ Over this platform,” said the admiral, “tanks, trucks, or what you will can run straight on to land. In addition, on their decks these craft carry smaller craft, which are launched by canting the mother craft sideways and sliding them off. By means of these craft, tanks which would otherwise be unable to reach the combat area could be landed. Air Raids on Japan

The admiral did not disclose the form or direction which the Allied offensive would take, but said, in reply to a question as to the adoption of islandpopping technique, that it was not safe to leave an armed and equipped enemy in one’s rear without' taking steps to occupy or neutralise the enemy-occupied territory in one’s path. Asked what effect air raids on Japan such as were foreshadowed by Mr Churchill in Washington last week were likely to have on the Japanese prosecution of the war in the outer defence ring, Admiral Wilkinson, said that they would undoubtedly cause a withdrawal of forces to assist in defence against further raids. He was not saying anything, however, as to such raids being carried, out. There had been a diminution of Japan’s cruiser strength by at least one-third and possibly by one-half since the beginning of hostilities, Admiral Wilkinson added, and in battleships she was a little worse off. She had lost about three of the latter, and in his opinion not 'more than two of the larger types building at the beginning of the war were so far in commission.