– News Of The World – NBC Radio – May 15, 1942 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
News for this May 15, 1942 began with reports of Japanese raids over Port Moresby, considered the first step in an invasion of Australia. The Moresby raids were of concern to Australia, and the raids were repulsed with varying reports of allied losses. Similar reports of attacks around the Southwest Pacific and allied engagements with the Japanese. But it didn’t diminish the fact that Japan had so far claimed a string of captured islands and there was no end in sight. To those on the ground and in Australia, it was a situation many felt was getting quickly out-of-hand. But news of the war in general was giving the Pacific short shrift with many in Washington and London feeling the number One concern was the war being waged in Europe and that the Southwest Pacific in general was not being given the priority it needed in order for the Allies to succeed. The menace of the U-Boat was casting an ominous shadow on the European side of the conflict. With Allied shipping losses mounting almost daily. Hitler, it was deemed, was of primary importance and the Atlantic must be held at all costs. But with Japanese advances continuing, it would be only a matter of time before the Pacific War came to the Pacific Coast of the U.S. It was predicted that the war with Japan would drag on for years and that winning back those lost islands would be a long process.
From Washington came news from Capitol Hill that a report was to be issued shortly outlining waste and unnecessary extravagances in the War effort. Also being discussed was curtailing Airmail service except for military use as well and that civilian airline travel be reserved only for those whose need to travel was in direct benefit to the war effort.
And while raids continued over Port Moresby and other Pacific objectives, that’s a small slice of what was going on in the rest of the world from NBC for May 15, 1942.
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