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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0643.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER FIRST AERONAUTICAL WEEKLY IN THE WORLD •• FOUNDED WO9 Editor C. M. POULSEN Managing Editor G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telegrams : Truditur, Sedist, London. COVENTRY : CORPORATION ST., BIRMINGHAM, 2 : ION ST GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, B- 0, CORPORATION ST., NAVIGATION ST. Telegrams: Autocar, Coventry. Telegrams : Autopress. Birmingham. Telephone: Coventry 52 10. Telephone: Midland 297 1 (5 lines). Telephone: Waterloo 3333 (35 lines). . MANCHESTER, 3 : GLASGOW, C.2 : 260, DEANSGATE, 26B, R E N Fl ELD ST., Telegrams : lliffe, Manchester. Telegrams : lliffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Blackfriars 4412. Telephone: Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Abroad : Year, £3 10. 6 months, Registered at the G.P.O. as a Newspaper. £1 10 6. 3 months, 15s. 3d. No. 1735. Vol. XLI. MARCH 26th, 1942. Thursdays, One Shilling. The Outlooks A Grand Victory T HE United States Navy, helped, of course", by the aircraft which are part of that Navy, has struck a smashing blow against the Japanese forces off New Guinea. Australians also played a paTt in the fight, and perhaps before these words are published some details of their part will be made known. Possibly also further details of the damage to the Japanese fleet and transports may be ascertained by air reconnaissance, but undoubtedly the blow to Japan has been a heavy one. The loss of heavy and light cruisers and destroyers jJl seriously handicap her command of the seas in the nth-western Pacific and put a brake on her hitherto vuiinterrupted advance from island to island. The guns of the American warships and the bombs of their air craft have played positive havoc with the transports and the troops which were to have landed in New Guinea in preparation for an invasion of Australia. The enemy's loss in men and stores on board those ships must have been very heavy, but the loss of the ships is more serious still. The Allied loss was one aircraft. America has struck qnce; she will be able to strike again. The recovery from the Pearl Harbour disaster has begun, and the process will be carried on. The fleet which won this exhilarating victory at New Guinea is undamaged, and it is far from representing the extent of American sea-power. For the future the Japanese will have to send much stronger escorts with their expe ditionary forces. They may have to use battleships as escorts, and if they do the Americans will know where the enemy's battleships are. The command of the Pacific depends on battleships, and none were present at the fight off New Guinea. It may well be that the Japanese do not want to risk theii battle fleet in a general action, but prefer to keep it in being, and to conceal its whereabouts from the Ameri cans as long as possible. The far-seeing eyes of the United States carriers will make that more difficult than it once was, for one remembers how the French and Spanish fleets kept Nelson guessing for a long time before they were run down at Trafalgar. But the Pacific is a huge stretch of water in which to play hide-and- seek. The islands of Nippon, however, are fixed, and if the U.S. battle fleet approaches them the Japanese fleet will have to fight in their defence. Another Supreme Commander ONCE more we • see one officer appointed supreme commander of all forces in an area of war. The first case was that of General Wavell. Now we find General MacArthur made supreme commander of all the Allied forces in the South-west Pacific. This obviously implies that, as in the case of General Wavell, he will control the strategy of all naval and air forces as well as ground troops within his area. This idea of one supreme commander of all forces, regardless of the Service to which he belongs, is obviously to be the rule in the future. It is, so far, the outstanding contribution which this war has made to the strategy of the future. It gives every promise of success. Another example of the same policy is the selection of Admiral Layton as Commander-in-Chief in Ceylon. Of less significance, but also interesting, is the dis regard of the United Nations for the nationality of the officer who is chosen as supreme commander. In the South-west Pacific we have seen first a Briton appointed.
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