Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-09-12

the Secretary OF War on the pc
Rod July I, 1941-June 80, 1913,
just made public at is a record"
Gen. Marshall Urites, "ot Dhat
tDds done and Dhy it ,pds done
and is submitted Dhile America Is
at Unr to permit better under
standing of the great offensive
operations now in progress"
That Japan intended to exploit
her victories to the limit was in
dicated by preparations for an Of
fensive toward Australia based on
the Bismarcks and the upper Solo,
mons. On May, 1912, this new ad-
venture was signalized by the seiz-
ure of the port of Tulagi in the
central Solomons. Between May 7
and II, however, a heavy column Of
enemy naval vessels and transports
moving southwark in the Coral Sea
was decisively defeated by Allied ma
val and air forces off the Louisiade
Archipelago. Suffering heavy loss
es, the enemy retired toward bases
in the Inundated Islands. Army air.
craft supported this action by re-
peated attacks on Japanese bases at
Lac, Salamaua, Rabaul, Kieta and
the Shorthand areas In southern
Bougainville, where concentrations
of enemy shipping provided lucra-
tive targets.
High Tide Of Jap Conquest.
The Coral Sea action marked the
high tide of Japanese conquest in
the Southwest Pacific. The posi-
bility that the enemy would shift
his strength northward to attack
Midway or Hawaii prompted a re-
grouping OF our naval units and q
further reinforcement of the air
and ground units at Hawaii, Mid
way and other island outposts. Mid
way-based long-range bombing and
patrol aircraft were assigned Of
fensive reconnaissance missions over
extensive ocean areas. On the morn
ing Of June naval plane sight
ed an enemy force with transports
some 470 miles to the westward.
Next day, when another force with
heavy carrier concentration was
located about $50 miles to the north
of Midway, 1t became evident that
the largest concentration of enemy
naval strength yet assembled for Pa
cific operations was headed east
ward with the capture of Midway
as its preliminary objective. All
available Navy carrier and land
based air forces were concentrated
against the enemy. In the historic
two-day battle which followed,
heavy losses in ships and airplanes
were inflicted on the Japanese, who
retired at once.
The battles Of the Coral Sea and
Midway restored the balance of
sea power in the Pacific to the
United States and lessened a grave
threat to our Pacific possessions.
Midway climaxed our. first half year
OF war and marked the opening of
q new phase Of operations in the
Pacific The enemy offensive had
definitely been checked: the United
Nations firmly held chains of island
bases extending from the United
States to Australia; our forces had
begun to deliver staggering blows,
and our commanders were now free
to prepare for offensive operations.
The Solomons.
The operation against Guadal-
canal inaugurated a series Of Of
fensive moves in the Pacific which
have continued to the present date.
The enemy occupation of the Solo
mon Islands permitted him the use
OF advance air and naval bases from
which to attack our long Pacific
supply line and the north coast
of Australia.
On August Z, 1912, therefore,
United States Navy and marine
forces seized beach-heads on Qua
dalcanal and Florida Island and
occupied Tulagi. The highly-prized
afrf1eld on Guadalcanal was held
by the marines against long series
of heavy air, sea and ground as
saults by the enemy. The resolute
defense of these marines, under
Maj. Gen. (now 1t. GEM Alexander
A. vandegrift and the desperate gall
lantry of our naval task forces,
marked the turning point in the
Pacific.
Army ground units commenced
reinforcement of the Marines on
october 10. On December 8, COM
rnand In the Guadalcanal-Tulag
area passed to the Army under Maj.
Gen. Alexander M. Patch. Early in
1913, series of well-executed and
vigorous operations by Army divi-
sions and one Marine regiment in
conjunction with air offensive, de-
fensive, and support operations COM
pressed and then destroyed all
enemy resistance on the island.
Threat to Port Moresby.
While strongly contesting our Of
fensive in the Solomons during the
summer and fall of 1912, the enemy's
determination to exploit his previous
gains was indicated by persistent
reports OF activities in the Bis
r1arcks, upper Solomons and New
Guinea. These proved to be prep
arations for an overland push from
Buna through the Owen Stanley
Mountains with Port Moresby, our
advance base on the south coast of
New Guinea, as the immediate OBJ
Jective.
BY September IL, the Japanese
had forced Allied ground forces
back to within 80 miles of Port
Moresby in an advance which DEM
onstrated great skill in jungle and
mountain fighting; however, REIN
forcement Of Allied ground troups,
coupled with effective air support
finally turned back this threat. BY
the end Of November. converging
attacks by American and Australian
troops had confined the. enemy to
pockets along the northeast coast.
In the ANAL stages of the Allied
drive. the Army air forces under
1t Gen. George c. Kenney. while
destroying the enemy shipping en-
to- 10 I'D