PROGRESS OF WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 114, 18 May 1942, Page 5

PROGRESS OF WAR

AMERICAN REVIEW REVERSES AND SUCCESSES ’ OFFENSIVE” A CARDINAL PRINCIPLE (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Recd. 10 p.m.) Washington. May 16. The Army and Navy Departments jointly released a detailed report of the progress of the war, recapitulating the known facts in a well-rounded story, but also disclosing interesting new details. The report. says:—When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour a considerable part of the American Navy was engaged—indeed, had been E ngaged for several months—in convoying troops and supplies to outlying American bases, and supplies under the Lend-Lease agreement to other countries. Anticipating the possib’lity of attack on the Pnilippines. the army was sending reinforcements there since spring last year, and between August and December sizeable augmentations of artillery, tanks ano aircraft had arrived. Further reinforcements which were en route on December 7 were ordered to alte” their course to Australia and arrived there safely under naval escort, thus rarming a nucleus of American forces there. Germany’s and Italy's declarations of war then involved America in a global conflict, involving strategic considerations unique in American history and necessitating the immediate garrisoning of outposts from Alaska to Australia and from Iceland to South America. During the first three weeks of war approximately 600,000 American troops were moved to battle stations. As an illustration, the report mentions that American military embarkation ports were handling, even before the Pearl Harbour raid, a tonnage exceeding the world war maximum. This has been tremendously increased since Pearl Harbour. Reviewing the Philippine war the report says: Geographical and strate gically the Philippines were virtually placed in a state of siege from the outset, because of Japanese dominance of the sea and the air. while the American naval forces in the Far East consisted of a relatively small number of cruisers, destroyers and submarines, and the Allied strength was further depleted by the loss of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse. About two-thirds of the submarines in the Asiatic Fleet were used to oppose Japanese landing forces, which included battleships and aircraft-car-riers. American submarines and bombers succeeded in sinking a number of enemy ships and transports, and only sheer weight of numbers enabled the Japanese eventually to succeed in landing, despite the heavy casualties. The report emphasises the determined effort to move supplies to the , I Philippines from Australia. “Some naval vessels and other blockade-runners succeeded in get ting through with food and ammunition. hut for every ship which succeeded two were sunk by enemy action.” Eventually Japanese bombing ren- ’ dered the Batan airfields and bar- < hours insecure, and therefore the aeroplanes were transferred to Australia, while Admiral Hart withdrew the remainder of the Asiatic Fleet southward. The defence of the Philip- : pines will stand as an epic of the fortitude and tenacity of the American and Filipino soldiers, while from the practical point of view it. demonstrated th? comparative weakness of the individual Japanese fighter. Military Strategy. The report explains important prini ciples of American military strategy. “The American concept always has i been and will continue to be offen- ■ sive. Sound military policy requires - the concentration of all available resources for the main effort and the maximum economy of forces in secondary theatres. This may result in 1 apparent reverses, which are, within

1 the lai go strategic picture, actually 1 successes.” The report enumerates preparatory . offensive action, such as the successful . thrusts against Japanese shipping in i the Marshalls, and the Gilberts, i Wake, Marcust, Lombok. and the Macassar Siraits, while “combined American and Australian land bases and air forces successfully crippled Japanese shipping and shore facilities at two ports in New Guinea.” Army air forces carried out raids on Japanese shipping and shore installations in the Philippines. Netherlands, East Indies, Bengal and the Japanese s homeland itself, while American sub--1 marines in the Far East and the . South-West Pacific have sunk many t Japanese naval and merchant vessels ? and transports, and the Chinese forces under General Still well upset -he e Japanese time-table. i Referring to the Coral Sea Battle, s the report says:—“The task force of i the Pacific Fleet, assisted by Army planes and several United Nations ? naval units, engaged a Japanese naval i force in the Coral Sea, inflicting s severe losses on the enemy. What apL peared to be an attempt at a further invasion ended in the withdrawal of e the enemy forces.” Covering the general situation, the - report says that the most encouraging - feature is the rapid manner in which machinery has been established for y the efficient prosecution of the war. i This machinery has reached its peak by the close collaboration of the Uniti ed Nations. The principle of unity of e command has been put into effect in e every theatre, and collaboration with the United Nations has progressed el tremendously, particularly since Mr. Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt establishs ed joint war machinery, which insures h complete unity of purpose towards the o defeat of the Axis. 5 The report concludes: “During the 0 first five months of American particii, pation in the war we have met reverses and enjoyed some successes, but ;s the unity of the American people and n their grim determination to avenge y the foul blow of December 7 and rid h the world of militaristic aggressors e cannot be denied, and will finally n prove the righteousness of the cause e to which the United Nations unstinta ingly dedicated its manpower, reis sources and future."