The Battle at Truk
The war in the Pacific entered upon a new phase when, having successfully attacked in the Gilbert Islands and the Mar- shalls, American naval and air forces last week suddenly appeared many hundreds of miles to the west—at Truk, the island stronghold and naval base, which is described as being to Japan what Hawaii is to the United States. It is not yet clear whether the American warships participated directly in the attack on Japanese ships, or whether the whole of the damage was done by aircraft from 'aircraft- carriers. Eleven Japanese warships and eight cargo ships were sunk, and 201 Japanese aircraft destroyed for a loss of seventeen United States aeroplanes. Though Japanese broadcasts spoke of a landing by military units, there is probably no truth in this report. But a destructive blow has been dealt on a base -whose maintenance is essential to the conduct of the war farther south (at Rabaul in particular) and which itself constitutes an island fortress on the outer perimeter of Japan's permanent defences. Colonel Knox has thought it wise to sound a warning at Washington against excessive optimism. " There is no basis for confidence in an early victory in the Pacific." None the less it is abundantly clear that the Japanese Government is disconcerted by Allied progress. It has taken a drastic step in dismissing simultaneously the Chiefs of the Naval General Staff and the Army General Staff, and in appointing the Prime Minister and the Navy Minister to these high executive offices. Though these changes cannot be attributed to the operations at Truk, they indicate dissatisfaction with the grand strategy of the Pacific war, including, probably, the wide dispersal of Japanese forces in untenable positions.
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