WAR IN PACIFIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25736, 6 January 1945, Page 4

WAR IN PACIFIC

MAY GO ONI FOR YEARS CORRESPONDENT’S VIEWS “ Unless Russia intervenes in the Pacific war, after the defeat of Germany, at least three or four years will be required to overcome Japan,” writes Denis Warner, Sydney Sun war correspondent at Admiral Nimitz’s headquarters. “This is not just idle opinion. It is the conclusion reached after many observations of the Japanese army, navy, and air force in action during the 12 months I have been a correspondent with Admiral Nimitz’s forces. “ This is probably the last story I will write here, and for that reason I would like to be able to give- a cheerful account of great victories won, a reassuring picture of what we may expect in future. But the fact of the matter is that unless very considerable assistance is forthcoming from the Continent of Asia, there is no reason to hope or believe we may defeat the Japanese army, which ultimately will be the greatest force to overcome, at any less cost than is being exacted from American, British, and Russian forces in the European struggle.

Production Increasing

“An appraisal of the Japanese economy inevitably leads to the conclusion that she is increasing her production in almost every category of war equipment. Super-Fortress raids may be considered at present as little more than harassing. The accumulation of shipping and supplies necessary to conduct a full-scale assault by land forces against Japan proper will present a problem even greater than the invasion of Europe. - “ The situation in China is steadily becoming worse. We may expect little help there. In China and in her homeland itself Japan has 4,000,000 fresh troops, trained for years and undoubtedly as skilled, and probably as well equipped as any Allied force they have yet encountered. And it is estimated that another 2,000,000 reserves—youths of 18 to 20 —are available to be called up when needed. . “The Japanese fleet and air arms, although battered, are powerful weapons still. And finally, there is what . may easily prove an almost insur- ' mountable obstacle —the character of the enemy. * ■. •..- . “As a field correspondent covering all types of operations in the central Pacific. I have been profoundly impressed by the change in Japanese tactics in the last few months. The Japanese have always been hard fighters. Although ill-equipped, especially on United States standards, they are highly-capable. offensive troops. - Today, with the war getting tougher every-day for'the Japanese, they are revealing astonishing, and highly-dis-concerting tenacity in defence and an almost incredible capacity for resistance. Character of War Changing

“Admiral -Nimitz once said it might be possible to defeat Japan without fighting on her homeland; but that was months ago and the character of the war is changing fast. I know that many believe it is impossible to win without carrying the war to the heart of the Japanese empire. “To give him his due, the; Japanese soldier is a brave man. His fighting in the Marianas-Palau Group, , and since in the Philippines, has proved that • “ The tiny . island of Pelelieu, only five miles long and two wide, provided an examDle of* what we may expect to meet in the Japanese homeland. Although the original Japanese garrison there did not exceed 10.000 the American marines—and there are no finer troops in the world —and army . fought a bitter campaign of 73 days before Japanese resistance ended. I spent only seven days on Pelelieu during the initial assault; but in that short time I saw things that made me shudder for the future. .‘‘Few stories came out of Pelelieu. There were no civilians, no towns or villages, .to. .provide colour—only jagged coral - cliffs and matted jungle undergrowth. It was a vicious backbreaking fight harder on the" troops than more-publicised Saipan. But that campaign taught a lesson to . the military leaders in \the Pacific that they were not slow to learn. “Not only among Japanese land forces is the increased determination to. resist apparent. The Japanese fleet ejcecytea one of the boldest moves in naval history when its battleship task force sailed through San Bernardino Strait in the Philippines on the night of 'October 24 and attacked American jeep-carriers arid escorting destroyers off the east coast of Samar. “We now know . the Japanese escaped comparatively lightly, and nothing is more certain than that they will fight again. '' ‘ Methods More Effective

“ Japanese air forces, although they have taken a bad beating from American carrier-planes, are also showing an increased determination. Their attacks are more forceful, . their methods more effective, than previously. . “ With so little land mass in the Pacific, it does not require a strategical genius to deterinine the routes open toward Japan. Admiral Nimitz may either carry out his long-promised attack against the China coast,. with a possible preliminary landing on Formosa, or he may continue his step-for-step moves toward Japan with landings, possibly, in the«Bonins and Nanseishoto Group, or through the Kuriles. A campaign to take heavilydefended Formosa might well bog down the Pacific war indefinitely, and a, landing in China seems less practicable.

“ Japan is very nearly, self-sufficient, she has enormous reserves of manpower, her industrial output has been steadily increasing. She will have to be beaten by physical force, by the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of lives, and the whole project is likely to be as grim and as bloody as anything seen in this war or last”