Evening star., 1944-04-21
British Fleet Action
Raid on Jap Bases in Indies
ENCOURAGES u. s. Forces
Bv David Laurence

The American Navy doutless is re-
joicing everywhere today over the
sensational turn which the war has
taken in the Bay of Bengal, for the aid
being rendered by the British fleet
comes opportunely and will be source
of much encouragement to our armed
forces who have been fighting Japan
virtually alone.
There has never been any doubt OF
the power Of the British feet to render
invaluable assistance in cleaning up the
Burma situation. The whole problem
has been priorities, and London has not
seen as clearly the Importance of hitting
Japan with naval and air power from
the Bay OF Bengal side as have the
commanders on the spot.
When Admiral Loris Mountbatten
was chosen for the Southeast Asia COM
mand, qualification was expressed In
naval circles here, but when he failed
to receive the necessary weapons and
manpower to begin . full-scale attack
In the Bay Of Bengal, feeling Of deep
disappointment ensued.
Jap supply Line 10 Burma.
is. of course. vital that Japan, which
Is being hit on three sectors by the
United States Navy from the Pacific
Ocean side, should be struck hard also
from the China side and her possessions
in Burma and the Malaga Peninsula and
Sumatra and Java attacked as well. A
glance at the map will reveal that naval
power can shut OF the Japanese supply
line to Burma, which is primarily by
way Of the Malaga Straits. All-the Jap
anese forces in and around Burma can
be left to wither If the Allies can en-
force blockade on the sea approaches.
The raid which has just been con-
summated by the British feet under
Admiral Somerville on airfields in
Northern Sumatra Is doubtless the be-
ginning of large-scale operation. The
British fleet Is described as being COM
posed Of aircraft carriers, battleships,
cruisers, destroyers and summaries. It
means that sizeable campaign can be
waged now. The British have the ad-
vantage Of nearby fuel bases, as Ceylon,
Admiral Mountbatten's headquarters, Il
not more than 1000 miles away.
The American fleet, on the other hand.
has been compelled to operate from dis
tant bases, and this means the hohiliza-
tion Of a huge armada of sustaining
vessels, known rs o mobile fleet" The
British know amphibious warfare and
have been developing in this war excel
lent techniques in handling aircraft
carriers. For long time last year Q
British aircraft carrier operated in the
Pacific as an integral part of our fleet
officers being interchanged and Amer
lean experience absorbed.
There Is no reason why the British
feet should not make record now n
the Bay OF Bengal and destroy q sub
stantial part of japanese shipping as
well as major units of the Japanese
fleet which have been reported to be
assembling in the vicinity of Singapore.
Dutch May Be Aiding.
The dispatches speak of an ALLIED"
fleet, and this may mean that Dutch
vessels and Dutch naval officers fa-
miliar with the Netherlands East In
dies waters, especially in submarines,
are playing an important role in the
operations just announced.
The map shows that the Andaman
Islands, which lie . few hundred miles
from the Burma coast, are In stra-
tegic location for air ofYensives and de-
fensives. 1t would seem logical that
the British in due time would attempt
to seize the Andaman Islands and con-
struct airfields there as bases for huge
bombing planes. American air forces
are located in India and, II the British
Navy can clear the way, we shall some
day perhaps be hearing of an air bonn
bardment of Singapore by land-based
planes from islands of the coast of the
Malay Peninsula.
1t Is q comforting fact that, despite
all the handicaps, the British feet has
been able to render the help now re-
ported. This could not have been pos
sible, perhaps, without the conquests
of Tunisia and Sicily which helped to
clear the Mediterranean of the Axis
navies. Sometimes when the public
gets discouraged about the slow prog
ress in Italy. there is tendency to for
get that what happened in Italy last
year had direct effect on what is hap
pening today in the Bay of Bengal in
our war against Japan.
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