Evening star., 1943-08-18
New SoIomons Drive
May Be Lure for Jops
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

BY MAJ. george Flet01Hg Et1OL.
The sudden American advance to Vella
Lavella Island in the Central Solomons
seems likely to be the opening move in
a new offensive, of which the goal may
we'll turn out to be Bougainville Island.
Our surprise occupation of Rendova
was followed Immediately by violent
assault on New Georgia, thus using an
almost undefended island as an advance
base to attack an important Japanese
operating center. The same may we'll
prove true of Vella Lavella and Bou-
gainville, respectively.
Vella Lavella is hardly suitable for any
military use except that of temporary
relay station. so to speak, on the path
to greater things.
1t is a heavily wooded island, noun
famous, and for the most part surround
ed by dangerous reefs and many patches
of shoal water. 1t has two small deep
water harbors on its northeast coast,
but these afford only limited anchorage
facilities. However, our engineers and
Navy Sea Bees" have shown a truly
marvellous ability to construct airplane
landing strips and other operating facili-
ties in the most difficult and unlikely
places, and if we have need of such
things on Vella Lavella, there is no.
reason to doubt that we shall have them.
Vella Lavella lies only so miles. from
the important japanese operating bases
in the Shorthand Islands area; the whole
southeastern end of Bougainville Island
itself lies within a 100-mile radius from
the northwest corner of Vella Lavella.
Thus our new possession is well located,
given the necessary facilities to support
an attack on these japanese strong
holds.
The reverse of this statement is, of
course, also true; that is, Vella Lavella
is exposed to powerful japanese counter
attacks-which is one of the reasons for
thinking that it's occupation is but the
prelude to an offensive directed against
the bases from which any such counter
attack must come. Otherwise there
would seem no sufficient reason for put
ting troops and material in such an ex-
posed location-with the one possible
exception that it might now be thought
desirable to invite such japanese coun-
ter operations in the hope of still further
whiting down the japanese fighting
strength in the Southwest Pacific area.
AS previously remarked in these arti-
cles the Japanese have shown an aston
ishing persistence in making weak coun-
terattacks and in launching small task
forces into waters strongly held by lis
in an endeavor to reinforce beleaguered
Japanese garrisons. They did this at
Guadalcanal, they did it at Buna, and
they did it all during our attack on
Munda.
Their reaction to any advance by our
forces has come to be almost automatic
they hit back right away with whatever
they have handy but they never seem
to hit back in sufficient force to accom-
plish anything except to sustain heavy
losses themselves.
The idea of patiently waiting until
they can collect enough force for one
free-swinging Sunday punch never seems
to have occurred to the japanese mind.
Their commanders apparently all labor
under the idea that they will lose their
so-precious face if they allow any ele-
ment whatever of prudence and caution
to enter into their military calculations.
There is nice open stretch of water
about go miles wide separating Vella
Lavella from Shorthand Island. The CEN
ter OF this bit of open water Is
within comfortable bomber range 600
niles from Henderson Field and COM
Portable fighter range Goo miles, from
the former japanese air base at Munda,
now in our hands.
1t is quite conceivable that we would
like to have the Japanese send warships
and transports across this piece of open
water, and foolish as it sounds there is
very good possibility that they will do
exactly that. Such an act would be no
more foolish than other things they have
done in the past. Heavy japanese losses
in an operation of this nature would also
be an excellent preparation for our next
move from Vella Lavella toward Bou-
gainville
(copyright, 1943 New York Tribune, 1nc)