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The Wrangell Sentinel
Wrangell, Alaska
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Washington report highlights the strategic importance of the impending Allied battle for the Philippines in the Pacific, seen as a decisive blow against Japan, cutting off vital supplies and more crucial than other fronts, with expected fierce Japanese defense by 200,000 troops.
Merged-components note: Merged image with the Pacific war column due to spatial proximity and thematic relevance.
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WASHINGTON
FRONT
By Jack Stinnett
WASHINGTON - The Allies in Europe are fighting the tenth round and a knockout may come any day now. That theater has the spotlight. But talk to any naval officials here and they will tell you that some of the kliegs should be on the vital ninth round in the Pacific.
It's the battle of the Philippines. The opening punches are being thrown by the army and navy air forces now. It's considered as certain as tomorrow's dawn that landings of ground forces will follow.
But there's no use to try to guess D-day for the Philippines any more than there was to try to guess the time of the second front in Europe.
With one exception (if Russia enters the war against Japan) the recapture of the Philippines will be a more overwhelming blow against the Japanese than anything else the Allies can deliver.
The Japanese know this and are expected to fight harder against landings in the Philippines than against any of the landings made so far in the entire Pacific area.
Their stakes are all the vital resources in their captured islands between the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, as well as those from French Indo-China to Burma on the continent.
Take a look at your map and you'll understand why. Only a superior naval force could maintain supplies from Japan south of Formosa if the Allies hold the Philippines. The South China sea, which now is Japan's open door to supplies of rubber, rice, iron, hemp, tin, cotton, tungsten, and other vital war materials, can be blockaded almost as effectively as the English channel.
Not only would these materials be cut off, but also supplies to the Nipponese armies to the south.
The strategic value of the Philippines, according to nearly all naval experts here, is the big key to the war in the Pacific—far more important than the bombing of Japan proper or any progress that can be made against the enemy on the mainland of China.
Best information available here is that the Japanese have about 200,000 ground troops in the Philippines, may add more in days to come and might be willing to risk their entire imperial navy in a Pacific slugfest to defend the islands.
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Where did it happen?
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Philippines
Outcome
recapture would cut off japanese supplies of rubber, rice, iron, hemp, tin, cotton, tungsten, and other materials from south china sea; japanese have about 200,000 ground troops and may risk entire navy to defend.
Event Details
Allied air forces initiating battle for Philippines; ground landings expected soon. Recapture seen as overwhelming blow to Japan, severing supply lines to captured territories and armies in the south. Japanese anticipated to resist fiercely, more than in prior Pacific landings.