The raid on Marcus is the first action by new carriers Essex, Yorktown and Independence. And it does signal that the USN is preparing for operations in the Central Pacific.
The thousands of Americans and Australians who have been fighting in the Solomons and New Guinea for the last year might take offense at the notion that the raid on the Marcus Is. constitutes the "real offensive."
The last few weeks we’ve been quietly building air bases in the Ellice Islands to support future operations in the Gilberts.