Evening star., 1943-11-01
South Pacific Proqress

South Pacific Progress
The landing of Allied forces on
the Treasury Islands, coupled with
the invasion of ChoiSeul by para
chute troops, is another step up
the ladder of the Solomons and
presumably betokens an offensive
aimed at the last important nest of
japanese resistance in this archi-
pelagO. That is the series of bases
in the Shorthand Island group and
the adjacent southern tip of Bou-
galnVille Island. Those bases are
grouped around an inclosed sound,
much like that in the New Georgia
group, which has recently been
cleared All those bases lie within
fifty miles of the captured Treasury
Islands, and they have been so soft
ened up by intensive air lombard
ment that the japanese were unable
to make any aerial resistance to the
Treasury Island operation, which
was opposed only by light ground
forces
Bougainville is the largest island
of the Solomon group. 1t is 1870
miles long, with an average width
Of 80 miles It's interior is noun
famous some Of the peaks exceed
ing 10000 feet. However, its very
size makes it difficult to defend
There is no evidence that the Japa-
neSe have large forces anywhere on
Bougalnvllle except at the bases of
BUM and kahili at its southern tip.
The capture Of those bases by the
Allies should. therefore, bring the
entire island under our effective
control. And the fall Of BOugain-
vile, the last Japanese stronghold
in the SolOmonS. would bring the
Allies only 200 miles from Rabaul on
New Britain Island. the key to the
entire japanese position in the
South Pacific
At this stage of the CamDaign it
may be useful to look back and sur
vcy the operations as a whole.
Viewed on a large-SCale map. our
gains in the South Pacific do not
look impressive. Yet strategic in
terpretation tells a very different
story. Cast the minds eve back
fifteen months. At the beginning of
August 1912, the japanese offensive
in the South Pacific was nearing its
climax. In New Guinea they had
breasted the summit of the Owen
Stanley range and were driving
dOWnhlll at the Allied base. Port
MoreSby. which they almost reached
in mld-September Of that year On
GuadalCanal, in the Southern Solo
mons, a great airfield was nearing
completion from which japanese air
sQuadrOnS could blast the island links
and water routes in our trans Pacific
communications with Australia. The
initiative still appeared to be firmly
in Japanese hands. The outlook
was gloomy.
- O'iN WV n i1lNi Ndlllt lll6 lul IL
Of the tide with our surprise landing
on GuadalCanal. In mid September
the japanese drive on Port MoreSbv
was halted and the invaders were
shattered by the blasting of their
overland supply route through su-
perlor Allied air power. Concur
rently, naval superiority in the re-
glon passed to the Allies by a series
of victories. notably by those of the
Coral and the Bismarck Seas. The
initiative passed definitely to our
side and has never since been seri-
ously challenged on land. sea or
ar. japanese resistance has been
stubborn and progress has been pro-
portlonately slow But japanese
resistance has been costly. The
South Pacific has proved to be
Verltable sinkhole for japanese
ships and planes weapons Japan
can afford to lose far less readily
than manpOWer. And the combined
Allied offensive goes steadily on.