West Pacific

THE DEFEAT OF JAPAN IN THE SOUTH

THE second phase of the Pacific War is ended. The third phase, in which the military and naval might of Japan is to be challenged and broken, now is opening. This third phase probably will be fought north of the equator, in the waters around the Philippines, off the coast of China, and on the Asiatic main land. The South Pacific soon should be clear of the Jap.

The first phase of the Pacific War extended from the treachery of Pearl Harbour into the middle of 1942.

During those months the Japanese, attacking the surprised and ill prepared Territories of Britain, United States and the Netherlands, had matters all their own way. The second phase opened when the in vaders came up against the slowly gathering forces of the United States and Australia, in the South-west Pacific.

Only as the weeks pass are we getting into true focus the extent of the defeat that has been inflicted upon the Japanese in what might be called the battle of the Bismarck Archipelago. That battle covered the whole of the South-west and South Pacific areas and lasted from August, 1942 (when Americans and Australians struck back at the southwards thrusting enemy), until March, 1944, when his elaborately organised de fences collapsed.

AND now the Japanese in New Britain actually are on the run —they are abandoning the western and central sections of the 300-miles

long island, and apparently are planning to concentrate their forces in, and defend, the extreme eastern part—that is, Gazelle Peninsula and the port of Rabaul. That develop ment, like others of a similar kind, became inevitable from the time that American expeditions, taking full advantage of their air and naval supremacy, “leap-frogged” their way into the Admiralty Islands and into Emirau Island (at the northern end of New Ireland), and thus boxed in the large Japanese forces which have been isolated in the jungles of: Eastern New Guinea mainland; New Britain; New Ireland; Bougainville and Buka. The fate that is over taking the Japs in New Britain to day is similar to what is happening to the Jap forces in those other great islands.

NEW BRITAIN is 300 miles long, and up to 60 miles wide. There is considerable settlement in the Gazelle Peninsula, especially around Rabaul, but otherwise it is primitive and in hospitable jungle and mountains. The Americans who landed at the western end three months ago have been hammering away at the Japs, driving them deeper into the eyen more in hospitable centre. Having air and sea supremacy, they have been regularly supplied, but the Japs have been deprived of even the precarious sup plies brought to them by their night sneaking coastal barges.

There was accumulating evidence that these Japs were literally starv ing. There are 90,000 natives in New

Britain, but they depend for their food, not upon game or jungle pro duce, but upon fish and their jealously-guarded gardens—they have little food to spare for thousands of hungry Japs.

An enemy decision to retire swiftly from this hopeless country, either by evacuation through some of the small ports on the north or south coasts, or by withdrawing along the full length of the completely unroaded island to Rabaul, was bound to come.

Their adoption of the latter, and more painful, course is due to two things—the Allied command of air and sea now is so complete that the Japs dare not send transports through the Bismarck Sea to the coasts of New Britain; and, during their two years in Rabaul, the Japs undoubtedly have cultivated large gardens in that fertile region, to augment their food supply.

WEST of Gazelle Peninsula there is little in the jungles and moun tains to sustain life in even the frugal Japanese.

Under present conditions, the Japanese cannot hope to maintain shipping services between Rabauhand their domains in the north. But they probably do hope to concentrate their New Britain forces (estimated at 20,000 or 30,000) around Rabaul and, with the limited food supply there, hang on and constitute themselves a nuisance for as long as possible. It is reported that they have already lost 5,000 dead in those New Britain jungles—they will lose many more before they struggle through to Rabaul.

AUSTRALIA looks on grimly, and without sympathy. Australians