Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

From Nov. 14 To Dec. 10

Nov. 14; German armies, in an attempt to reach the vital Caucasus oil regions, are thrusting forward in the Crimea, and slowly occupying whole of peninsula.

Position is very grave. Another German assault on Moscow has been launched from the north-west.

Nov. 16: Although session of Japanese Diet which began yesterday had been awaited with world-wide interest, as promising a clarification of Japan’s in tentions, the principal speakers expressed themselves only in general terms. Japan’s special peace envoy, Kurusu, has reached Washington.

Nov. 16: British aircraft-carrier, “Ark Royal”, 22,000 tons, sank on Thursday while being towed to Gibraltar, after torpedoing. No loss of life.

Nov. 17: Nazis are claiming capture of Kerch, at eastern end of Crimea, and gateway to the Caucasus. Moscow Radio admits that Germans have now pene trated southern and western suburbs of Moscow, where the position is extremely critical.

Nov. 18: Japanese Premier Tojo laid down four points which Japan considers necessary for Pacific settlement —namely, no third-power interference in China; economic blockade of Japan to cease; Britain, America, and Netherlands to promise that encirclement of Japan shall end; and Japan’s normal trade to be restored Nov. 18: Berlin says that the fall of Kerch means that a new struggle for possession of the Caucasian oilfields has begun, and the Germans apparently ex pect that the British will take over the defence of the Caucasus oilfields.

Nov. 18: Confidential talks between Japanese peace envoy, Kurusu, Japanese Ambassador Nomura, President Roosevelt and Mr. Cordell Hull, have now com menced.

Nov. 18: At dawn to-day, Bth British Army, under General Sir Alan Cunning ham, attacked the Axis forces in Libya on 130-miles front, and by nightfall British, New Zealand, South African, and Indian troops had penetrated 50 miles into enemy territory, where big-scale tank battles are developing.

Nov. 19: Thousands of lorries, organised in transport lines, have commenced car rying British and American war material to Russia across Iran.

Nov. 19: The Germans, continuing their south Russian drive, claim to have iso lated Rostov-on-Don, and expect to enter the Caucasus.

Nov. 19; British forces in Libya have seized Rezegh, on the escarpment, a few miles south-east of Tobruk.

Nov. 22: Extremely fierce fighting is proceeding on the Southern Russian front, and Moscow front, where enemy obviously is making desperate efforts to gain im portant successes before winter closes down.

Nov. 22: New Zealanders in Libya, ad vancing along the coast, captured Fort Capuzzo, while the Tobruk garrison is ad vancing southwards to junction with British at Rezegh, Great tank battles over wide area are described as “confused dog fights”.

Nov. 23: American-Japanese discussi<pns are still proceeding in Washington, being subject to much delay owing to the Jap anese envoy’s frequent references to Tokyo.

Nov. 23: Great coal strike in United States, which threatened to paralyse war production, ended suddenly, with accep tance of President Roosevelt’s plan for arbitration.

Nov. 24; Terrific tank battles are pro ceeding between British and Axis forces in Central Libya. The British, by making junction with the Tobruk garrison, have

encircled the German panzer divisions, but the fighting is inconclusive. British, in these operations, enjoy complete air superiority.

Nov. 25: Marshal Timoshenko has launched a successful counter-offensive against Germany’s South Russian armies around Rostov. This operation is being studied intensely by military critics. It is regarded as Russia’s last hope of keep ing the Nazis out of the Caucasus oilfield.

Meanwhile, the German thrusts at Mos cow, only 40 miles from the city, are most dangerous.

Nov. 26: Great tank battle in Libya has continued with unabated fury and incon clusive results for four days. The fighting is confused and desperate. Nazis have successfully resisted the British efforts to trap them in north-eastern Libya.

Nov. 27: Timoshenko’s armies in South ern Russia are now advancing strongly on a wide front, and German General von Kleist’s armies, which apparently were about to enter the Caucasus region, are now in rapid and disorderly retreat to the westward. The Russians are still hold ing Moscow.

Nov. 28: Japanese-American discussions have almost collapsed, and America has informed the Japanese envoys that she takes an extremely grave view of the in creasing Japanese troop concentrations in and around Indo-China.

Nov. 28: The trapped German tank divisions are fighting desperately to break westwards through the British ring in Libya. They are making attack after at tack upon New Zealand, Indian and South African forces. , Dec. 1; Announced in Canberra that famous Australian cruiser “Sydney”. 6 830 tons, completely disappeared on November 25, after sinking a heavily armed German merchant-raider. 42 offi cers and 603 other ranks are missing. The “Sydney” apparently approached the raider, which was flying Norwegian flag, off West Australian coast, for examination, and raider unexpectedly opened fire. About 250 Germans from the raider reached West Australian coast, and they say en gagement took place at dusk and they last saw “Sydney” ablaze about 10 miles away. x Dec. 1; American-Jananese talks are still proceeding in an atmosphere of in

creasing pessimism.

Dec. 1: Russia has gained her greatest victory to date in the war against Ger many. The German southern armies are in full retreat on a wide front, having broken under a series of ferocious Rus sian counter-attacks.

Dec 1: It is estimated that half the enemy tanks in the Rezegh area in Libya have been disabled.

Dec. 1; While fighting continues bit terly on the Russian and Libyan fronts, large RAF formations from Britain are nightly battering at Western German industrial centres.

Dec. 2: A state of emergency has been declared in Singapore. Manila reports that a Japanese fleet headed by cruisers and aircraft-carriers is not far from North Borneo.

Dec. 3: Australian destroyer “Parra matta” torpedoed and sunk, with a loss of 141 officers and men.

Dec. 3: Russian armies from north and south are closing in on the German ar mies retreating westward from Rostov, “gateway of the Caucasus”. Some critics now say confidently that here the Ger mans have suffered their greatest defeat since September, 1939. The Russians are still holding the enemy at Moscow, al though he is within 36 miles of the city.

Dec. 3: Formally announced in Tokyo that the negotiations for a Pacific peace will be continued in Washington.

Dec. 3: The Axis tank forces, on Decem ber 1, broke the British ring between Tobruk and Rezegh, in Libya, and thus escaped the British trap and reunited their forces. The Britisn divisions are being reformed and reinforced. The tempo of this fighting has slackened considerably.

Dec. 3: Large British naval units headed by the new battleship “Prince of Wales’’, 35,000 tons, have arrived at Singapore.

Dec, 4: Many reports agree that Ger many is putting great pressure upon Vichy France to grant her the use of the French fleet and North African bases for use against the British.

Dec. 4: Russians now are not only per suing the retreating Germans in Southern Russia, but they are also launching strong counter-attacks against the German drive on Moscow.

Dec. 5: American officials say that Britain now has three battleships at Singapore.

Dec. 5: Libyan fighting has died down, while the British and Axis forces are re-organising and re-fitting.

Dec. 5: American-Japanese peace talks are dragging on. America says bluntly that a general settlement depends on the acceptance by Japan of the non-aggres sion policies repeatedly and recently out lined by America.

Dec. 6; Negotiations between Japan and USA having apparently broken down; pre pared plans for collaboration between Australia and the Netherlands East Indies, and precautionary movements by Austra lian air and army units, have been or dered into operation.

Dec. 6: Having driven the Germans back nearly 100 miles in Southern Russia, Marshal Timoshenko has launched an of fensive on a 70-miles front across the Donets River, with Kharkov as his objective.

Dec. 6: President Roosevelt, in a last minute effort to maintain Pacific peace with Japan, has sent a personal message to the Emperor of Japan, pleading with him to intervene and prevent a general explosion in the Far East.

Dec. 7: The Germans are now retreat ing in disorder from several points around Moscow, where the Russians have strongly counter-attacked.

Dec. 7: Before dawn to-day, without warning, large Japanese aerial forces, evi dently from Japanese aircraft-carriers, attacked Pearl Harbour naval base in Hawaii, Hickman airfield, nearby, and the city of Honolulu. They apparently caught the American forces unprepared, and did enormous damage, including the disable ment of an undisclosed number of Ameri can warships, the destruction of large numbers of planes, and the killing and wounding of possibly 3,000 persons.

Several hours later, Japan formally de clared war against the United States and Britain. Washington pointed out that when the treacherous attack upon Hawaii was being launched, Japan peace delegates ac tually were in the State Department in Washington, still carrying on negotiations.

Japan also launched attacks with aerial, naval, and military forces upon many American and British territories in the North Pacific notably Wake Island, Guam, many places in the Philippines (including Manila), North Borneo, several points in Malaya, Singapore, and at least three places in Thailand. It is also re ported that bombs were dropped on Nauru and Ocean Island. The unexpected and wide-spread character of the attack has disorganised news services and relia ble information is lacking.

Dec. 8; Both Houses, of Congress, within a few minutes, and unanimously, endorsed President Roosevelt’s request, and de clared war upon Japan. All isolationists are supporting the Government, and the nation is united as never before in history, Dec. 8: Japan is landing large forces in the Kra isthmus region of Thailand, evidently with the intention of launching attacks upon the British and Australian forces in Malaya.

Dec. 8: The Germans are now announc ing that, owing to the rigours of the Russian winter, they are suspending all further operations on the Russian front until the spring. Meanwhile the Russians, who still hold Leningrad, Moscow and the Donets region (guarding the Caucasus), are now counter-attacking strongly, and the enemy is retreating in many places, with severe losses and privations.

Dec. 9: Unofficially reported that American planes have bombed Tokio and Formosa. The Japanese are preparing a big attack upon Singapore.

Dec. 10: British battleship “Prince of Wales” and battle-cruiser “Repulse” sunk off Malaya by Japanese aircraft.

This is a very grave naval disaster; and even more serious in that it ap parently gives Japan naval superiority in the Pacific. This disaster, plus the cir cumstances of the Hawaii disaster, indicate that the Japanese possess a new weapon of tremendous potentiality — probably an aerial torpedo.