Detroit evening times., 1945-09-03

n
massive strokes.
T'HE invasion of the Admiral
Il ties was the first. II marked
the end Of one important phase
of MacArthur's struggle TO "re-
turn" and IL also marked the
most critical gamble ever won
by the Macarthur team.
Ever after, the scale Of the
offensive stepped up as the
forces under his command and
the forces Of Adm Nlmltz
united m a series OF power plays
that swept through the Philip
pines 10 victory.
Macarthur team had taken
,haps an the I2-month period
since the end Of the BunG
campaign. IL Was a team that
uas destined 10 remain intact
throughout the War.
NsW and much needed units
had been added TO the air
command of Gen. CsorRs
kenney
Gen. Walter Kruger, veteran
campaigner and one Of the most
respected and capable general
officers in the L. s. Army, AS
Sumed leadership Of all ground
forces under Macarthur while
Combat-Skilled Gen. Robert
EiChelberger was chief of the
assault infantry forces.
The arrival OF Adm. Thomas
{. Kinkaid 10 be commander OF
Allied naval forces in the South
west Pacific had ushered In a
new era of warm relationship
between air, sea and land
forces.
The naming Of Vice Adm.
Daniel +. Barley As MacAr-
thurs overall amphibious COM
mander brought one OF the
navys most aggressive leaders
under the aegiS of the south
west Pacific.
The first in the series Of
sustained drives Whieh wsrs
TO knoW no pause until Amer
lean forces stood at last on
Philippines soil had been
launched on Sept. S, 1913.
In a combined naval and air
borne assault. Allied forces
staged a surprise attack against
the strong enemy base of Lac.
completely encircling II within
a 24-hour period and over
Whclming the foes bOmb-bat-
tered garrison in less than two
weeks.
GIVING the Jap no respite.
VI Macarthur. on Sept. %,
struck for Finschhafen. south
ern control point for the KEY
Nitiaz Straits separating New
Britain from New Guinea. On
the same date, airborne eIe-
ments hurled themselves l20
miles nearer the great Jap air
base OF Wewak with landings
at GusAp, far up the fertile
Markham Valley.
Meanwhile, MaCArthur's air
forces under the tactical leader
ship Of Gen. Kenney and 1t.
Gen, Ennis Whitehead were
bent on an orgy Of destruction
unparalleled until that time in
Pacific battle history
AT WEWAK: 3SS Japa.
nese planes destroyed in
series Of tWo-day ioW-ieVsi
bIoUs.
AT RABAUL; More than
300 enemy aircraft and up
yards Of 100000 tons of en-
smy shipping Of all types de.
stroysd or damaged IN
uronth-ionR series of continu-
Gus assaults.
AT HANSA BAY, north.
wcst of Finsehhafsn: The en-.
smys ability to defend or
resupPIy their endangered
central New Guinea bases
Wrecked as entire barge and
IuRRer feets Uere Wiped out.
Macarthur let his air arm
carry the heavy weight of Of
fenSivc action throughout No
Nember as he rc-girded his slim
forces for the next objective Of
hIs command: the occupation Of
enemy bases on the Strategl-
cally important island of New
Britain
On Dec. Is, 1913, Sixth Army
troops under Kruger landed at
Arawe, in south central New
Britain. severing one vital link
in the PnemN'S communications
chain between the formidable
garrison Of Cape Gloucester and
the equally formidable garrison
of Rabaul.
The Jap. expecting the first
landings al Gloucester was
thrown seriously off balance
tactically
GIVING him no chance To re-
u cover, Macarthur. on Dec.
%. moved against Gloucester
with a division of L. -. Marines
loaned him nv Adm. William I.
HalSey's South Pacific Com
mand.
Tho operation was military
classic
Preceded 10y 2 devastating
pre-nNa>Ion aerial lombard
ment American assault forces
L ....--....---..l InrI.ru.