Detroit evening times., 1945-06-27

BARROWS
-World
In Review


TllE capture of Okinawa after
Il nearly three months of bloody
fighting, lays the basis for a
great operation to finish the de-
feat of Japan.
The size and cost of this final
operation is sufficiently indi-
Gated by the new appropriation
of more than $3S,000,000, 900,
asked for by the war depart
ment, and by Gen. Marshall's
testimony that economy in lives
and materiel demand a swift,
powerful offensive, forcing a VIC
tory at the earliest possible date.
The defeat of Germany en-
ableS us 10 concentrate our full
military effort TO this task, and
what is equally important, il
enables the best minds we have
TO devote their entire thought to
the job remaining.
TIIE battle put up by the Japa-
Il nese on Okinawa was the
toughest, largest, and most
skillful resistance that the Japa-
nese have made at any time IN
this war.
They used new weapons, new
ground resistance, including
caves, that were in some cases
ancient sepulchres, and in others
new excavations from the rocks
and cliffs of the island.
These Japanese tactics in
fiicted heavy losses upon our
men and included the life of the
commanding general.
These losses are hard to
accept.
Nevertheless the task of over
coming them gave training and
experience to Our Tenth Army,
that makes it, in the highest
sense, a veteran force prepared
to overcome comparable future
japanese resistance.
Whatever the ultimate plan
that will be adopted for over
whelming the enemy, it will be
aided by the most severe battle
experience, as well as by an
enormous concentration of sea,
air, and ground power.
We must prepare to be pa
tient if the plan of our COM
bined forces, and their ultimate
entrance into action. remain TN
disclosed for a period of several
months.
Delay may be caused by sew
eral factors.
First among these I would
place the weather, which, in the
latitudes where our next assault
must be launched, will be very
unfavorabfe for fighting. and
especially for an amphibious
landing.
A SCORE or more of great
"A cyclonic storms, the ty-
phoonS or eastern hurricanes,
will sweep this entire battle area
in long parabolic courses, be-
tween the present month and
the end of next November.
Full powered ssels can
avoid the center of these cy-
clones, ride them out at sea,
or gain the shelter of secure
harborS.
But an amphibious landing
force is made up of a multitude
of smaller ships, including land
ing craft directed -upon-eHe
certain point, which may offer
no shelter from a hurricane in
which the less of ships and men
might be severe.
Secondly. it will take some
months TO concentrate in the
Philippines, which will be our
great staging area, the neces-
sary number of troops for a
breach of the enemy'S strength,
either in Japan or in China.
Our fleet is already there, but
must have safe anchorages for
while, outside of the typhoon
zone.
LIVERY day and every night
IL powerful air Squadrons de-
part for new air bases off the
coast of Asia, but comparatively,
the movement of troops will be
slow.
Some divisions are already
under orders for movement from
Europe to the Far East; others
will be added to them.
To complete the movement of
these divisions. with the enor-
nous quantities of supple S
which will accompany and fol-
low *-tfcrr1,I requires ships, and
also time.
In the third place, before any
assault is made, there is likely
TO be long period of prepara-
tion by strategic bombing.
Our Superbombers are already
operating successfully from the
Marianas islands, bu. the pos
session of Okinawa, only 300
miles south of Kyushu, affords a
large island which is being pre-
pared as a giant base in which
all types of airplanes can be
used for preliminary or soften
ing missions.
TIIESE attacks will precede
Il the landing of armies.
The success of strategic bomb