THE SOLOMONS ACTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25372, 2 November 1943, Page 2

THE SOLOMONS ACTIONS

The storming by New Zealanders, assisted by an American specialist unit, of Mpno Island, in the Treasury Group, marks the first major action in which ground troops from the Dominion have been engaged in the South Pacific war zone. Their success was complete, and what may be counted as more immediately important to those watching the exploits of New Zealanders in every theatre to which they have been sent, their demeanour was, as usual, resolute and courageous. Territorially the island which they have now taken over is of little account, but with Choiseul, eighty miles to the north-east, simultaneously occupied by Allied parachute troops, it provides a further and very near menace to Bougainville, Japan’s strong-point in this area. With Buka, farther north, and the Shortland group, Bougainville is now the only enemy-held territory short of New Britain, where the main southern base of Rabaul is situated. Bougainville naturally provides a position for counteraction against the new Allied positions, which are approximately 40 miles distant, and their security cannot be taken for granted. It is, however, itself under close air surveillance from Vella Lavella, where a new airfield has been established, so that any air forays might prove costly—costlier than Japan would relish. The toll of the enemy’s aircraft in the Solomons area has recently reached amazing figures. Prior to ,the air operations of the week-end, the record of enemy aircraft destroyed or damaged had exceeded 500 in less than three weeks, against the loss of a dozen Allied planes. The latest raid on much-pounded Rabaul, from which four Allied aircraft failed to return, has accounted for another very large loss of - planes to the enemy, and 'Other air operations v/hich are now 1 reported go to swell this total. This destructive air offensive is naturally, as the press correspondents are pointing out, creating great difficulties for Japan on the perimeter of her southern

defences. ‘Japanese new plane production is estimated at more than 1000 a month, and is predominantly of fighting planes at the present time, and a rate of loss on the scale suffered by the enemy in the South Pacific area alone must be progressively crippling. The best proof that it is, in fact, already worrying the Japanese strategists is the obvious care with which aircraft are now being used in this theatre. These recent very heavy aircraft losses have not been suffered in attack but in defence, apart from the large numbers surprised and destroyed on the ground. The latest raid on Rabaul, in which the great proportion of enemy losses was in intercepting aircraft, illustrates the vulnerability of Japanese planes when exposed to attack by Allied bombers and fighters. The Allied approach to Rabaul, both by the island-hopping in the Solomons, in which the New Zealand Third Division is now participating, and in (he recovery of positions in New Guinea, will clearly not be prevented by Japanese air operations, unless the ( enemy’s numerical strength and tactics are both greatly improved. In the worsening circumstances for Japan, the possibility of further sea action is likely. Bougainville and Rabaul certainly cannot be allowed to revert by default to Allied ownership unless Japan determines upon a major shortening of her overtaxed lines of communication. That decision will almost certainly require to be forced upon her by major action.