Evening star., 1943-03-07
Tokio's Worry
Troops Spread Thin and
Air Force Depleted
By John Grover,
Associated Press writer.

By John Grover,
Associated Press Writer. S
Chinese Army intelligence reports do
much to explain the recent inactivity
Of the Japanese In their "co-prosperity
sphere" Chungking advices say the Jap
lines are stretched dangerously thin.
The Chinsse. back up this interesting
news with IN analysis Of the Japanese
situation which, II correct, must be ca,lp
ing no little concern among Jap leaders.
The Japs must police and fight In An
area that stretches 4.375 miles from tho
Northern Manchur.an border to Java,
and $500 miles from Western Burma to
the Solomon Islands. This geographical
rectangle embraces 1s.6s7,50 square
miles. While much Of it Is AlNed-held,
the figures give some idea Of the enor-
nifty Of the Jap task.
The Chinese report that Nippons air
force has been hard hit since December
Z, 1o41.
The army air force started with $500
flrst-line planes, plus 1,700 reserves, Chi.
nese sources aver. The Jap naval air
force began with $500 first-line planes
and had 1900 reserves.
The Jap plane industry (again the
source is Chinese) produces $50 ships !
month, Of which so are transports and
trainers. United States Army estimates
put Jap plane production at 500 planes
monthly. Diminished Jap air activity In
forward sectors, however, tends to con.
firm the Chinese estimate among Amer-
tcan observers. ,ft
The Chinese say the Japanese Army
now has little more than 1900 plaueA
while the naval air force has been whit.
tied down to 1890 first liners and l,700
reserves.
Air Lesses Hurt.
Air losses forced consolidation Of the
five army air divisions into four, Chuns.
king reports. One division Is said to b
based In the Burma Thai -Indo- China
sector; half q division operates in China
one and one-quarter divisions are in
Manchukuo, and the balance are in :
reserve pool In the home islands.
In the same way, land forces are seat
tered thinly oJpr the vast area the JatG
anese must guard. No less than 8 d.
visions are held in Manchukuo, Chung.
king believes, with 80 others operating
In China and 80 divisions dotted over the
whole Southwest Pacific, from Burma to
the solomons.
The Chinese intelligence service says
the Japs have left only the barest mini
mum Of police troops In Java, sumatra,
Borneo and Malaga. ~
No immediate Allied threat to th&
sector exists. However, lack Of oppoea.
ton Is discounted rs the impelling re1s
son Tor Withdrawing troops northward.
They could have been quartered In the
islands close to food supplies, instead of
being ordered to areas where food must
be shipped In from the areas thsy
vacated. They would also be closer Ia
the Timor front, increasingly menaced
BY Allied air attack.
The Withdrawals tend to confirm the
thesis that the japanese are concentrat-
ing In : narrowed inner defense rtne.
There are combat concentration. q
distinguished from police troops, in
Burma-Thai. New Gumea and the Solo.
mons-New Britain areas.
Expansisn Chance Limited.
All IN III. Japan has slightly less than
100 divisions In the f1eld, tho Chinese Ia.
sist. The possibility Of increasing thea
forces Is believed limited, 6 Jspan,s
slightly mechanized industry also suffers
from . manpoWer shortage.
All this carefully assembled Chtnesn
information points to the fact that "a
pans withdrawal from an active offensive
role was dictated By : suspected sl1ipplng
shortage and the necessity Of consery3n1
troops against the day when hAayy Ala
lied attacks begin On athe rad bed. k..,,gg,
japan stin enjoys geographic adyans
tages in multiplicity Of bases, which
can Be utilized for the quick shift q
troops to = threatened area. Japans
slim foeces go farther" with handy. wen,
stocked supply bases.
The Allied supply problem In the n.
CHIC theater Is still . terrific obstacle d
. United Nations offensive.
Distances are 50 great, and other COM
mitments so demanding, that the troop.
munitions pool In the area grows slowly.
However. the Chinese intelligence
service estimate Of the Jap troop disposi.
tions, depleted air power and extended
lines oil adds up to the conclusion that
the Nipponese had military eyes bigger
than their military stomach.
The chunk they bit Oh from the un.
prepared democracies year ago prom.
Ees military indigestion once the United
Nations can bring adequate weight
against the dispersed Jap armies.
British ATS Corps
Is Four Years Old
Four years ago seven women. pledged
to secrecy, discussed with high army
~. .4.