Evening star., 1944-10-26
Jap Navy Units Seen
Quitting Dutch Indies
Tokyo Aware British Fleet Units
Are Near Singapore, Says Writer
BY David Laurence


BY David Laurence
Evacuation Of the Netherlands East
Indies by virtually all japanese naval
forces would now appear to be cer-
tainty.
Well aware that sizabIe units Of the
British feet are either in the vicinity
OF Singapore or shortly will be, the
Japanese naval command undoubtedly
pulled back battleships and cruisers
which had been patrolling the South
China Sea.
This withdrawal was made 80 as to
coincide with the movement Of other
Japanese units headed southward from
Japan and Formosa. The fact that the
United States forces planned to invade
the Philippines has been known for
months. So the Japanese, knowing our
superior naval strength, endeavored to
maneuver our feet into such a posi-
ton that 1t would have to divide on
both sides Of the Philippines or else
risk air attack from various japanese
units that could move out of the China
Sea into the narrow waters of the
central Philippines and then move back
again with no risk of encountering
hostile vessels.
But judging from the dispatches, the
main American fleet has not been
divided and the damage that has been
inflicted on the japanese Navy has been
done largely by planes from our aircraft
carriers lying east of the Philippines
and by some surface units that we
fortunately had west of the island of
Leyte in the Central Philippines.
Three Segments Still Seen.
Whatever the strategical result of the
maneuverlng may be in the end, it
seems unlikely that the japanese will
concentrate their feet at any one place.
preferring to keep it in three segments,
and wide apart for the time being. 1t
Is evident that the Japanese Navy no
longer feels safe in the vicinity of the
Malaga Straits or the southern areas of
the South China Sea.
Many months ago, it was reported
that the Japanese were keeping a siz-
able feet in and around the Malava
Straits. Apparently the game of hide
and seek which opposing navies play
with each other has been Influenced bv
the fact that eventually the Japanese
meet IN the South China Sea had to
move north to protect the homeland.
Ihe American feet is SO powerful
that it can take on anything japan can
moolllze so the japanese strategy is to
attack in areas distant from one an
other In the constant hope that the
task force will be lured either to divide
or 10 leaVe open to attack points at
which we now have landed troops.
But the japanese strategy will fail
because We have land-based planes now
protecting virtually every area where
the American flag flies with the possible
exception OF newly occupied positions in
the Philippines, where doubtless orr
construction battalions are working
feverishly to get captured airfelds into
condition for Army Air Force planes.
Every new airfeld put into operation
Is the equivalent of an aircraft carrier
| and the Japanese know that they must
interfere with our land operations and
alrteld repairs Immediately or there will
| be such air power developed for Use ont
OF Philppine bases as to dominate the
South China Sea and the waters ON
both sides of the Philippines.
Hard Decision to Make,
The japanese high command had a
naro decision to make. Would they
try to mold on to the precious oil fields
OF Borneo and the resources of the
Netherlands East Indies and risk seeing
an American naval task force steamine
into Japanese homeland waters bonn
oardlng her cities and industrial
establishments?
The japanese evidently decided TO
forego the Netherlands East Indies and
go back home. They selected what to
them must have seemed an opportune
time because our feet has been out at
sea rather long time using up fuel
ana ammunition in the Bonins and at
Formosa and the other important air
bases of the japanese that we have had
10 attack in order to render their planes
poWerless to come down in support of
the Japanese air forces in the Philip
pines.
| The defeat which has Just been ad-
mlnistered to the Japanese Navy may
prove, however to be the decisive action
OF this war in the Pacific. 1t would not be
surprising If the Japanese fleet stuck to
home waters hereafter and, except for
sporadic hit-and-run skirmishes, never
came out to 90 battle against US.
The American Navy now controls all
the Pacific with the single exception of
| the Sea of Japan.
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