World Battlefronts: Converging Commands

It looked last week as though the day was approaching when there would have to be one overall commander in the Pacific. Just as the Solomons and New Guinea operations had converged on Kavieng and Rabaul, so now the Central Pacific and the southern operations began to converge on the Carolines.

Admiral Halsey’s marines from the Solomons swept around right end to seize two of the St. Matthias Islands, just as General MacArthur’s foot cavalry had swept around left end to seize the Admiralties. In the St. Matthias Islands only a small hello was uttered by the veteran marines to a minor unwelcoming committee of Japanese.

Together General MacArthur and Admiral Halsey now had completed the ring around the Japanese in Rabaul and Kavieng. For nearly a year General Mac-Arthur has had “strategic direction” of the double campaign. From now on theirs would be definitely a single operation.

The St. Matthias Islands are flat, well suited for fighter and bomber strips. They lie only 625 miles from Truk. Admiral Nimitz’ forces at Eniwetok are 775 miles from Truk. Now another junction appeared in the offing.