Strategic Impotence

Nowhere in the vast Pacific was there more than a crumb of comfort for the Japanese. On Luzon, infantrymen and tankmen of Lieut. General Walter Krueger's Sixth Army were probing toward Manila (see below). True, the Japanese had as yet suffered only slight losses in men and materiel, because they had elected not to meet the attack head on at this stage. Thus they conserved for a later stand, perhaps in the mountains of northern Luzon, perhaps on Bataan, perhaps both. But such a stand could only delay U.S. seizure of strategic Luzon.

At sea, the Japs were as badly off. Since the landings in Lingayen Gulf began, not one of their surface ships had appeared to dispute Allied control of the sea lanes. Instead, their own cargo carriers and escort craft were being bombed and strafed from Indo-China to the Ryukyus. Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet carriers (16, by enemy count) sent planes up & down the coast and the island chain. They hammered Hong Kong, Swatow, Amoy and Canton in China; Takao on Formosa; Okinawa in the Ryukyus. Primarily, their job was to keep the Japs from flying planes or shipping supplies and reinforcements to Luzon. Also, if an enemy naval force should appear, Halsey would be ready to cut it off.

From China and from the Marianas, B-29s were keeping Formosa, Kyushu and Honshu under attack. Their performance was getting better. The 21st Bomber Command (Saipan and Guam) struck at a tempting target, the Kawasaki aircraft factory near Kobe, where the Japs made the new twin-engined fighter known as "Nick." Returning pilots, with photographs to back them, reported 315 hits in the target area, and the plant out of operation for months.

Nowhere, outside of China, did the Japanese have the initiative; but everywhere they were mustering for bitter-end resistance on the best available terrain.

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