COSTLY BATTLE OF PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 30, 30 October 1942, Page 5

COSTLY BATTLE OF PACIFIC

Japanese Fleet Loss NAVAL COMPARISONS MADE (By Telegraph— Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, October 28. The statement by Vice-Admiral Edwards, second in command of the United States Fleet, that the Japanese Navy now ranked second to America’s because of Britain’s war losses is not accepted in London. Competent authorities direct attention to the statement last month by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Alexander, that Britain’s losses in capital ships, cruisers, and carriers have been made up. There is difficulty in believing, they say, that the Japanese Fleet could have been increased so greatly. - in view of its admittedly heavy losses.

[Speaking on September 20 Mr. Alexander was reported to have said that the capital ships, aircraftcarriers and cruisers lost during the last two and a quarter years had been replaced, and in destroyers the lasses had been more than replaced.)

Since Pearl Harbour and including that attack, the Japanese have lost more than twice as many warships sunk and damaged as the United States (reports British Official Wireless). The figures are 129 Japanese and 53 American, and with the ships probably damaged by a near-miss the Japanese figure reaches 150. The details, as compiled from United States Navy Department communiques, are:— UNITED STATES JAPANESE

tThe Japanese battleship Haruna was sunk in the fighting off the Philippines. The figures are taken from navy sources, and the Navy Department has always omitted this battleship from its lists because the Haruna was sunk by an army bomber. fTotal of cruisers either sunk, damaged, or probably sunk.

In addition to the United States losses listed, the U.S. Navy has sunk nine ships—destroyers, auxiliaries, motor torpedo-boats, and a gunboat—to keep them from enemy hands. The Japanese, in addition to their warship losses, have lost 133 transports, fleet tankers, and fleet cargo ships sunk or damaged. The ships mentioned as damaged have in every case. sustained a hit, but it is not known whether they would be incapable of putting to sea. The American submarines operating from bases in Australia, and Hawaii have sunk at least 750,000 tons of enemy shipping, according to the “New York Times correspondent, Mr. Hanson Baldwin, who recently toured the South-west Pacific war zone. Only three submarines have bcAu lost in addition to one which was sunk in a collision at Panama and another demolished in .the Philippine drydock to forestall enemy seizure, he states.

Sunk Damaged Sunk Dam- ; aged* Battleships 1 1 Nilt 6 Aircraft-carriers 3 1 6 11 5 4 - - 25y Destroyers .... 13 6 26 21 Submarines ... 2 1 6 Others 0 13 10 ♦Including probably damaged.