The Pacific Offensive
In the great sea, air and land battle which is now going on in the Marshall Islands, the Americans are drawing their net more widely across the Pacific, and are now advancing for the first time into an area controlled by Japan before the war. After the successful assaults on the Solomon Islands east of New Guinea and New Ireland, the Americans pressed on north-eastwards to the Gilbert Islands, and now their attack is on the strongly fortified islands of the Marshall group, which' the Japanese themselves describe as "the first line of defence" of their Empire. They lie due south of Wake Island, and about due east of the important base at Truk. The Americans are now unquestionably on the offensive, carrying the war into regions which the Japanese will do all they can to defend. It is clear that American naval forces on a great scale are being employed, and that aeroplanes from aircraftcarriers, as well as from the Gilbert Islands zoo miles away, are strongly supporting the landing parties, whose operations had been preceded by intensive bombing raids on adjacent Japanese strong points and aerodromes. Ten bridgeheads have been established, and stern fighting is in progress on land and in the air. Confident messages have been sent by Rear-Admiral Turner, who is :11 charge of the amphibious operations, but it is expected that there will be much hard fighting in a succession of engagements before the islands are completely reduced. But the swift capture of Roi, which has a serviceable airfield, and of most of Kwajalein and Namur, is a highly encouraging start to the operation. Success here will secure the Ocean route from Pearl Harbour to Australia, and begin to threaten Japanese communications with Rabaul.
