Evening star., 1943-11-23

ClllIldA IL DsVAo AS"fohces
summer OF 1945 when 1t may be
expected that considerable pressure
will be applied from all sides
against the Japanese mainland.
The average American who sees
a small map and does not note the
enormous distances thinks it's a
hop, skip and jump from the Gill
bert and Marshall Islands to Japa-
nese hame waters. What is not
generally realized is that the oper-
stions in the Gilbert and Marshalls
are part of broad scale offensive
which is designed to apply pres
sure at Truk, the Japanese base
in the South Pacific, as we'll as
against other island fortresses held
by Japan in northern waters of
the Pacific.
With huge task force of air.
craft carriers. battleships and de-
stroyers, mobile fleet capable Of
threatening many Japanese strong
holds is presented, but in modern
warfare 1t Is necessary that island
bases be acquired also. For while
the aircraft carriers can do a Ger
tain amount of offensive fighting,
there must be landings of ground
troops to make secure the island
bases that are invaded.
Progress Must Be Slow.
These island bases are necessary
to store fuel and supplies. The
United States Navy has no repair
facilities of any kind between
Hawaii and the Bay of Bengal
q distance nearly halfway around
the globe. If task force ventures
into japanese island waters and
any Of the ships are damaged they
must 60 back a considerable dis
tance for repairs. The same thing
holds true Of ammunition and fuel
So the progress must be slow
II We make our hold at the Gilbert
and Marshalls firm, we will be able
to bring supplies for storage there.
But that is only small gain for
It becomes necessary afterward to
take Truk-the Japanese Pearl
Aarbor-and it also becomes neces-
SAry TO acquire other island bases
pear to Japan.
There Is always the chance that
Ne Japanese fleet will come out to
ehallengs the American Nays
movement toward Japan and to
meet such . contingency powerful
units Of olr Navy must be at hand
With capital ships as we'll as heavy
cruisers to take care OF any con-
t1nsency.
The time consumed In acquiring
island bases is variously estimated.
It may take all OF 1914 and con-
siderable part of 1945-possibly 18
months-to get adequate bases for
supply and offensive operations In
the far Pacific. 1t will be noted
that recently the Navy announced
that some 45,000-ton aircraft car
riers were being built which would
not be completed until 1945. This
indicates that the men who make
plans for the American Navy are
taking no chances and that they
intend to have powerful super
aircraft carrier fleet ready for the
ANAL blows against Japan in 1945.
% Months to Get Foothold.
The United States has been at war
against Japan more than % months
and 1t has taken all that time to get
. foothold in strategic bases. The
campaign in New Guinea and the
Solomons has been absolutely essen
tial to the operations now being
undertaken in mid-Pacific. Most of
the extremists who insist airpower
alone can do almost everything for
get that across the center of the
Pacific there are no bases in our
possession for land-based planes.
Some day there will be planes which
can take off from Hawaii and fly
across the Pacific in large numbers
but that theory applies more to the
next war than to the present war
This war has to be fought with the
weapons available in the next 18 to
"a months and not with weapons
which have not been put into blue
print designs as yet.
The campaign in the Pacific will
be stepped up when Hitler is de-
feated in Europe. More of the units
of the British Navy will be available
then to help in the Burma campaign
now being developed in the Bay Of
Bengal. Much damage will be done
to enemy communications during
1914 by the Mountbatten expedition
but it is doubtful whether any one
who knows the character Of the
terrain and the dificulties really
expected the Mountbatten offensive
to achieve Its goals before the winter
Of 1944-45. If Japan is beaten by
the summer Of 1945 or even by 1916,
the most remarkable feat in the his
tory Of naval warfare-fighting sue
cessfully an enemy 1000 to 10000
miles away-will have been achieved
by the United States.
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