February 10, 1942

Have been quite busy today as increased volume of radio traffic with NEI and Australia keeps me busy. Actually have more work than I can handle for first time since we moved over here. It has been relatively quiet today, but some activity on front of I Corps. They are staging a small effort to wipe up a small pocket of Japs who filtered through the line. Believe they cleaned it up today. The tactics of the Japs are most peculiar. On the right they appear to have pulled back from our front several miles. The same on the left. In the center, where cover is better, they have closer contact. Their attitude appears to be growing more and more defensive as though they fear a counteroffensive. In many places they have dug in and placed barbed wire. We know that their losses are very heavy as compared with ours, but there is no real reason for them to adopt such a cautious attitude in view of the fact that we have shown no inclination to attack. I am convinced that we could attack successfully and decimate the force in our front, but we couldn’t sustain it because of lack of supplies. We would expend all our ammunition in one big effort and thereafter be helpless. By adopting the present method we keep them busy and get value received for every round of ammunition expended.