Evening star., 1944-02-09


How did the operations in the
Marshalls differ from those in and
around the Gilberts? There was a
fierce naval bombardment in the
Gilberts, too, and in both cases
bombardment by land-based planes
and planes from aircraft carriers
played decisive part But in the
landing on the Marshalls mobile
artillery was brought ashore and
put into effective use promptly so
that the Japanese got 1t from the
air, from the sea and from the land
"a bombardment probably un-
paralleled in modern war
Fleet Size Secret.
The composition of the American
fleet must remain a secret. 1t is
doubtful whether the Japanese
communication facilities remained
effective long enough to make any
kind of coherent report of what
happened-what kind of fleet was
sent against them. The heavy
guns of battleships doomed in the
area, but just how many or what
heavy cruisers or light cruisers were
used will not be revealed. 1t is per-
missible to say that the size of the
fleet was by no means determined
by the need for shelling the Mar
shalls. but was based on a remote
possibility that the japanese fleet
might come down to do battle just
as the operations began
The fact that small task force
OF American warships attacked
Paramushiro, just west of the Aleu-
tians, is considered in some quar-
ters as a "diversionary' attack,
meant to divert attention from the
real objective-the Marshalls. The
japanese, however, know how
vulnerable they are to attack from
the Aleutian bases and it may be
doubted whether the attack was
isolated, Doubtless more attacks
will be forthcoming in the northwest
corner Of the Pacific as we'll as in
the South and Southwest Pacific, so
that the Japanese will soon have
to make up their minds whether they
will abandon more and more gar
risons or make an attempt to re-
inforce them.
1t is reliably reported that many
japanese units are literally starving
to death. 1t is doubtful whether in
recent weeks supplies could get into
the Marshalls from Japanese bases.
The tendency Of the Japanese high
command to abandon their over
seas garrisons when they are block
AIDED by the American Navy is grow
ing
Havoc Wrought on Ships.
incidentally, the havoc being
wrought by American submarines
against japanese shipping is not told
in the simple statistics of tonnage
destroyed. An acute form bf block
ade has been carried on by our sub
marines. Also it is known that our
task forces in and around the Mar
shalls and Gilberts have been aided
materially by the submarine block
ade
The part played by the Army Air
Forces in carrying huge quantities
of bombs to the Marshalls in the
weeks preceding the seizure Is an
other chapter of the story that
cannot be told in full for some time
to come. 1t is sufficient to say that
the Army Air Force and the artil-
lery and ground troops of the Army
and the ever-present Marine Corps
have worked together as a team
with the Navy's big ships and air
craft carrier forces in synchroni-
zation of effort that spells in due
time the doom of Japan.
Valuable experience is being
gained in how to approach the atolls
held by the japanese and If the
japanese fleet does not risk de-
cisive battle earlier, the American
Navy and the Air Forces and ground
troops of the Army and Marine
Corps will be repeating during 1914
and 1945 in the Carolines and the
MariannaS and in the Philippines
some of the lessons learned and
plans used in seizing the Gilberts
and the Marshalls.
The most powerful Navy ever as
sembled in the Pacific and perhaps
anywhere in modern times is on the
move now. Naval operations do not
come rapidly but what they accom-
plish nevertheless is a progressive
march toward the ultimate victory
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