Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

From March 16 To April 15

Mar 16: Darwin (North Australia) was raided— two killed, 12 wounded.

Mar. 17: Washington announced that American Army units, including air and ground troops in considerable numbers are now in Australia.

It is believed that USA will seek to build up a huge force in Australia and use the Commonwealth as a base from which to start an offensive northwards against the Japanese in the Allied terri tories temporarily occupied—namely, New Guinea, East Indies, Malaya, Borneo and the Philippines.

Mar. 17: Berlin radio announced that Japanese forces had arrived in Torres Strait preparatory to a landing on Thursday Island.

But the very hot reception given by American and Australian aircraft to Japanese bombers which appeared off Cape York on March 14, and the heavy losses they suffered, evidently nipped the plan in the bud, because no major attack developed.

Mar. 17: Japan is about to make a thrust at Burma’s oilfields. Half a mil lion refugee Indians are streaming across Burma, along 1,000 miles of road to their own country, choking the highways.

Mar. 18; Furious Russian attacks on Orel and Kharkov, key cities south of Moscow now in German hands, continue.

In Smolensk region (central front), Gen eral Zukhov’s forces have smashed Nazi resistance in an area from which the Germans were to launch their spring offensive.

Mar. 18; Lord Beaverbrook, dropped from British Cabinet, is going to USA “to assist in co-ordinating the resources of the United Nations”.

Mar. 18: Japanese twice raided Tulagi (Solomons). Bombs were dropped on Florida Island. No material damage and few native casualties.

Mar. 18: Allied aircraft yesterday heav ily raided Japanese at Koepang, in Timor.

Mar. 19: American General Douglas MacArthur, recently defender of the Philippines, now in Australia, has been appointed Supreme Commander of all the Allied forces in the South-west Paci fic. The appointment is everywhere hailed with enthusiasm.

Mar. 19: Darwin raided by small force of heavy Jap bombers. Some damage to civilian property—2 people killed, 7 injured.

Mar. 19: Mr. Casey, Australian Minis ter in Washington, appointed British Minister of State in the Middle East and member of the Imperial War Cabinet.

Mar. 20: Japanese commenced north wards drive from Rangoon, in Burma.

British forces are holding a line at Prome, at the head of Irrawaddy Valley.

Mar. 20: Great fires at Kharkov sug gest Nazis are destroying oil stocks and other equipment that cannot be moved, in preparation for retreat.

Mar. 20: Announced that “a consider able Japanese force from Salamaua and Lae is now in Markham River Valley, north-east of Port Moresby, and reported to be advancing overland towards Port Moresby.”

This was apparently reported by ignor ant correspondents and sensationally dis played in Australia as authentic news, althqugh everyone who knew the coun try knew that the suggested advance by the enemy was quite impossible. The newspapers persisted with the silly story for two or three days.

Mar. 22: Chinese troops in northern Burma (where they hold the left of the

Allied front) have had their first big clash with the Japanese.

Mar. 22: Japanese aircraft attacked Katherine, 120 miles south-east of Dar win, injuring 2 blacks. Little damage done. . Darwin was raided; little damage —one Jap bomber shot down. ' Mar. 22: Japanese are massing for a drive through Sittang River area onto British front on Irrawaddy River (Burma).

Mar. 22: Allied aircraft heavily attacked Japanese at Lae (NG), destroying 3 Jap bombers and 9 fighters and damaging 2 bombers and 3 fighters—these enemy aircraft being caught on the ground.

Allied aircraft probably sank one Jap cruiser and seriously damaged two others in Rabaul Harbour on 20th.

Mar. 23: Wyndham (NW Australia) raided by medium force of Jap bombers —little damage. Nineteen Jap bombers and 4 fighters made enemy’s heaviest attack against Port Moresby.

Mar, 23: It is becoming apparent that British and American air forces over the Burma front are unable to maintain aerial supremacy. The enemy has numerically superior air forces and is making effective use of airfields captured in south Burma and Thailand.

Mar. 23: Americans on Bataan in Phil ippines area have not replied to Japan ese demand that they immediately sur render or take the consequences. Every indication that heavy Japanese attacks are coming.

Mar. 24: Port Moresby raided by two waves of Jap bombers.

Mar. 24: Great batle is now raging southwards of Toungoo, in Burma.

Mar. 25: Jap bombers made their nine teenth raid on Port Moresby. No damage and no casualties.

Mar. 25: American fighters made a smashing attack at dawn on a Japanese airfield in northern Siam.

Mar. 25: Japanese, steadily advancing, have now worked around the flank of the Allied defenders of Toungoo, in Burma.

The situation on the Toungoo front is officially described as “serious”.

Mar. 26: Japanese forces have occupied Andaman Islands, including the excellent harbour of Port Blair, in the Bay of Bengal, and now directly menace the eastern coast of India, Ceylon, and all Allied shipping in the Indian Ocean.

Mar. 26: Axis forces in Libya are being steadily reinforced and new fighting on an extensive scale is expected.

Mar. 27: Allied aircraft yesterday raided Koepang, Timor, in very bad WG3ithor Mar. 28: Seven Jap bombers raided Darwin. Two were shot down by Allied fighters and two more probably destroyed. .

Mar. 29: Combined action by British Commando, navy and air forces success fully raided German submarine base at St. Nazaire, in Loire estuary, west coast of France. Five tons of high explosive were placed in bows of an old destroyer, which rammed and destroyed the mam dock gates.

Mar. 31: Sir Stafford Cripps is now m India with complete plan for granting India Dominion status and is trying to get the co-operation of the Indian parties —hitherto irreconcilable.

Mar. 31: Darwin raided yesterday lor eighth time. No damage or casualties.

Japs also raided Port Moresby on 30th with small force, but were driven off.

Mar. 31; Jap forces have been with drawn from Markham Valley area.

Markham reported in heavy flood.

Mar. 31: Allied aircraft again attacked

in Koepang, Timor, and apparently destroyed six grounded aircraft, and three enemy fighters. Allies also raided Lae and damaged the aerodrome. Dar win to-day was raided by seven Jap bombers, but no damage or casualties.

Apr. 1; Although the beginning of the spring thaw has partially quietened Russian fighting, the Russians are hold ing the initiative all along the front and still are attacking.

Apr. 1: The air blitz by the Allies on Japanese bases in Salamaua, Lae, Gas mata and Rabaul is now almost cease less. Salamaua raided to-day.

Apr. 1: Despite intense German efforts, a great convoy carrying supplies to the Russian forces successfully got through to Murmansk, in northern Russia.

Apr. 2: Ten Norwegian ships made a dash for Britain from Swedish ports.

About half were torpedoed, and two or three returned to Sweden.

Apr. 3: Conversations between Sir Staf ford Cripps and the Indian leaders con tinue. Newspapers to-day report “proba bility” of agreement—and the next day, no probability.

Apr. 3: Japanese forces in Burma, advancing steadily, have captured Toun goo and Prome, and British-Chinese lines have been withdrawn to more mountain ous country. Japanese have landed at Akyab, on the coast of Burma, near the Indian frontier and behind the British right flank.

Apr. 5: Japanese aircraft, operating from a carrier, attempted large-scale raid on Colombo; 27 aircraft were destroyed, five probably destroyed and 25 damaged out of a Jap force of 75. The attackers were taken by surprise by large forma tions of British fighters, who apparently were awaiting them.

Apr. 6: Allied aircraft in the Darwin and New Guinea areas claim to have destroyed 17 enemy aircraft and dam aged 10 others in week-end raids.

Apr. 7: Japanese are reported to have occupied Faisi, in the northern Solomons.

Apr. 7: 300 RAF bombers, carrying on their campaign of ceaseless and increas ing raids, at the week-end attacked points in Germany and Occupied France.

Enormous damage was done, and only five were lost.

Apr. 7: Allied bombers yesterday scored direct hits on large vessels in Rabaul Harbour.

Apr. 8: The Allies in Burma are said to be fighting delaying actions, so as to permit development of land com munication through the mountains be tween India and Burma, thus allowing reinforcements to be sent to Burma and air forces to be reorganised.

Apr. 8: Five enemy aircraft raided Madras; casualties were slight.

Apr. 8: Japanese have occupied Loren gau, chief centre in the Admiralty Islands, north of New Guinea.

Apr. 9; There is now a lull on the Burma front, while British and Indian forces take up new positions to defend Burmese oilfields.

Apr. 9: Terrific attack by Japanese upon American positions on Bataan Pen insula is now in its fourth day. The position is regarded as very serious.

Apr. 9: Japanese air forces raided Trincomalee (northern Ceylon) now prob ably Britain’s most valuable naval base in the Indian Ocean.

Apr. 10: Allied air-raids upon Japan ese positions in New Guinea and Timor continue with most results.

Apr, 11: Announced that British air

craft-carrier “Hermes” and cruisers “Dorsetshire” and “Cornwall”, each 10,000 tons, were sunk by Japanese air craft in a series of naval engagements in India Ocean. The Japanese, appar ently, sustained no losses.

Apr. 11: About 30,000 American and Filipino troops have been overwhelmed by Japanese forces on Bataan Penin sula and remnants have withdrawn to Manila Bay forts. The balance have surrendered.

Apr. 13: Prime Minister said that British warships were sunk in Indian Ocean by dive-bombing attacks launched from five Japanese aircraft-carriers, which were accompanied by at least three Japanese battleships, and numer ous cruiser and destroyer forces.

Apr. 15: American squadron of Fly ing Fortresses, and large 825 bombers flew from Australia to Philippine Islands, took enemy by surprise, heavily damaged enemy aircraft installations, shipping, etc., and returned to Australia.

Apr. 15: Vichy Government has been reformed under German pressure, and Pierre Laval, political rogue and pledged collaborator with Germany, is now in control. Very important international reactions are expected.

Mr. George A. L. Wright, former Dis trict Inspector of Constabulary in Fiji died suddenly at his home in Nasese on March 23. He was 51 years old. Born in Fiji, he entered the Civil Service in 1913, as a Customs clerk; the following year he enlisted and was abroad on active service for several years. Return ing to the Colony, he became Sub-Inspec tor of Constabulary and was stationed at various times at Ra, Labasa, Levuka, Suva, and Rewa. He retired on account of ill-health in 1938.