FIRST PHASE OF NAVAL FIGHT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 228, 23 June 1944, Page 5

FIRST PHASE OF NAVAL FIGHT

Aerial Skirmish Indicated U.S. FLEET MOVED IN TO ATTACK Japanese Avoiding Full Battle (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Received June 22, 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 21. The United States Fleet closed on the Japanese Navy between the Mariannes and Luzon in the Philippines at dusk on Monday. This was announced in Pearl Harbour by Admiral Nimitz,.the Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific. He added: “Enemy losses and our own losses have not yet been assessed.” The Navy Department announced that American carrier-based planes sighted and attacked a Japanese fleet of battleships, aircraft-carriers, and other warships on Monday in the opening phase of what may become the greatest naval engagement in history. An unofficial American report says that the Japanese Navy is still avoiding a straight-out battle with the American Fleet. . There was some indication tnat an American naval task force may have succeeded in catching up with all or part of the Japanese Fleet in the Central Pacific, but so far there was no definite information, said the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Forrestal, today. Mr. Forrestal pointed out that Admiral Nimitz’s fleet is under strict radio silence, and so no details may b ? h^ pe f .}, t p ed for some time. He added that the Japanese Fleet had been sighted at various times during the last few days “milling round” from 500 to 800 miles to the west of Saipan Island. Admiral King. United States naval commander-in-chief, said: The soonei the Japanese Fleet fights the better we will be satisfied.” He expressed appreciation of the long-expected co-operation of the Japanese Navy in moving into a battle position, and expressed confidence in the outcome. Admiral King added: Losses must be expected and are allowed for, but so far they have been less than estimated. This refers to all types of action, air, sea and land.” Probably Skirmish Only. No details are available since Admiral Nimitz’s announcement that American carrier-based planes had attacked the Japanese Fleet, but the action probably did not last long, says the New Yoik Times” Pearl Harbour correspondent. Presumably, the attacking flyers broke off the engagement at dusk and returned to their bases. There is a strong possibility of more fencing and feeling out, of the kind which would normally precede the fleets coming together for a slugging match of a decisive nature. However, such a match seems more remote than it did. It is likely that the American Fleet will content itself with sparring till our position at Saipan is more secure. This may not be long, because we are rushing completion of Aslito aerodrome to relieve the Fifth Fleet of its policing dU The “New York Times”, in an editorial says that Japan could still put into the battle 10 to 12 battleships and. battlecruisers, sewn or eight large carriers, dO to 40 cruisers, apd 70 to 90 destroyers, but the American Fleet is in every respect superior inasmuch as more than six super-dreadnoughts and more than 50 carriers have been added to the prewar strength. American progress toward Japan, which is eliminating protective outposts, may at last have forced the reluctant Japanese admirals to stand UP and fight a battle which could decisively affect the whole strategy in the Pacific. Japanese Claims.

Tokio radio claimed that an American 45,000-ton battleship of the lowa class was sunk off the Mariannes last Friday, and added that a 35,000-ton battleship of the North Carolina class went down to a watery grave on Thursday night. Two of four aircraft-carriers which were heavily damaged and set on fire on Saturday night were of the 24,000-ton Essex class, while another was of the 10,000ton Independence type, a converted cruiser. The fourth appeared to be of the Essex type. Tokio official radio claims that Japanese forces, supported by newly-landed tanks, thrust into the rear of the American positions on Saipan Island.

EFFECT ON JAPAN Decisive Naval Defeat

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received June 22, 11.30 p.m.) . SYDNEY; June 22. An American naval victory on a grand scale in the battle of the Mariannes woulfl greatly shorten the war against Japan. Decisive defeat of the Japanese Home Fleet would render the enemy’s naval position desperate as is his aerial position. In such an event the Japanese war lords would have to remould their strategy in terms of the land army alone —-and no defence plan resting on such a basis could for long stave off the inevitable end. This is the opinion of Australian war commentators whose eyes have suddenly turned from the fighting for Cherbourg to the resounding naval drama now being enacted in the waters midway between the Mariannes and Luzon, the first of the Philippine Islands to be invaded by the Japanese. The battle area lies about 1200 miles south of Tokio. Luzon and the Mariannes are some 1500 miles apart, Probable Enemy Strategy.

Doubt if the Japanese would dare move their fleet, out of range of protecting fighter aircraft based on the Philippines is expressed by Lieutenant-General Gordon Bennett, writing in the Sydney “Sun” today. General Bennett believes that the enemy ships will wait for the American forces to come under their air umbrella and that, faced with the prospects of a severe mauling,- they will decline a fight to the finish. Instead, they will withdraw to the temporary safety of the Philippines. “If they do fight and lose, then the Japanese war will be all over except for the cleaning up,” says General Bennett. “But even if the Japanese are successful in sinking some American ships and keeping the Allied forces out of reach of the Philippines for the present, they will by no means have won the war, nor will we have lost it. We can afford a setback, since we have the means of replacing our losses and enlarging our fleet for the next round. Japan has not.” It is believed here that the Japanese, no matter what sacrifice they are willing to make, cannot now prevent the completion of the American subjugation of the Mariannes, which is certain to be followed by preparations for invasion of the Philippines as well as the softening up of Japan’s home front by long-range bombing attacks.

“Japan is confronted by one of the most gigantic pincer movements in military history,” writes the “Sydney Morning' Herald’s” military correspondent. “The activities of both the Central aiid South-west Pacific commands have been perfectly co-ordinated in applying correlated pressure. Their aim is clearly to converge on and retake the Philippines. “Biak is the southern counterpart of Saipan, and both are essential jumpingoff points for the development of this strategy.” The progress already made poses a grave dilemma for the Japanese, who have been forced to ask whether they could safely procrastinate further in using their full naval strength to meet these fast-growing Allied penetrations toward the Philippines. Indeed, the “Herald” writer believes that the enemy may have delayed too long in deciding to offer battle. It is not, however, yet clear whether the Japanese Fleet now engaged came out with the deliberate purpose of meeting the full strength of Admiral Spruance s American Fifth Fleet, or whether they have been trapped into the present action. ( )( “This battle,” says the Sydney Suu in an editorial, “will decide not Japans ultimate fate, for that is certain; but the period before that fate overtakes her.