Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-04
New Guinea Drive


naturally fixed most intently upon
the great sea. air and land battle
waged by our forces in the Southern
Solomons and centering on Guadal-
canal, we should not overlook the
Importance of events that are taking
place in New Guinea. The series sof
successes won there during the past
month by Australian and American
forces has now reached point fore
shadowing the likelihood of de-
cisive victory in the near future. And
any such victory would have far
reaching repercussions throughout
the vast South Pacific battle-ground.
The huge island of New Guinea,
almost continental in size. narrows
at its eastern extremity to a penin-
sula about 400 miles long and
averaging somewhat less than 100
miles broad. Down the center runs
a range of steep mountains, most of
it around 10000 feet high, draped in
dense jungle and damp with tropic
rains. On the northern side of the
peninsula the land slopes more grad
ually upward from the sea, and since
the rainfall is less the country is
relatively open and level, which
makes it easier to traverse and allows
the construction of airfields. On the
southern side jungle-clad hills reach
practically to the coast. Midway
down the south shore stands Port
Moresby, with good harbor and
practicable airfield This is the vital
base protecting the entrance to
Torres Strait, the reef studded
stretch of water between New Guinea
and the northern tip of Australia.
Last spring, the tide of japanese
conquest rolled swiftly into the South
Pacific, capturing the important is
lands off the Northeastern New
Guinea coast and establishing foot
holds on New Guinea itself. BY
summer, the japanese took the har-
Dor of Buna, directly opposite Port
Moresby, brushed aside the weak
screen of Australian defense, and
worked their way inland toward the
mountains, establishing land and
air bases as they went. Then came
the rapid push over the range which
came within thirty miles of Port
Moresby. 1t was at this crucial mo-
ment that Allied air power took a
hand in the game. The japanese
had outrun their supplies, and our
reinforced airmen first won local
command of the skies and then Sys-
tematically blasted the entire Japa
nese line of communications. The
result was a precipitate japanese re-
treat, in which many of their men
were found dead of sheer starvation.
The better supplied Australians
pushed over the mountains, and have
now captured Kokoda, the main Jap
anese inland base and airfield over
looking their landing point at Buna.
From Kokoda, the way is relatively
easy to the sea. Only strong Japa-
nese reinforcements could turn the
tide, and they have been barred by
savage Allied air attacks upon a big
convoy of troops and supplies which
was forced to turn back off Buna har-
Dor without landing man or a crate.
Unless the Japanese now there are
stronger and better equipped than
is expected, it would not be surpris-
ing to see them pushed into the sea
and the entire peninsula once more
in Allied hands.
This would have most damaging
effect upon the whole japanese posi-
ton in the South Pacific. Their
bases in New Britain and the North
ern Solomons would be fanked and
the way opened for direct attacks on
those strongholds. Indeed, some
strategists have contended that New
Guinea rather than the Southern
Solomons should be the main line of
approach for an Allied offensive in
this region. Such an attempt pre-
sumably is dependent upon naval
victory which would give us the
upper hand in those waters, then,
provided General Macarthur has the
requisite merchant shipping, a
big expeditionary force might be
launched against Rabaul on New
Britain, which would decisively break
the japanese hold on the entire area.