JAPANESE LOSSES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20916, 16 October 1942, Page 5

JAPANESE LOSSES

SOLOMONS BATTLE MANY SHIPS & PLANES POINT-BLANK CLASH (By Telegraph—Tress Assn. —Copyright.) 1 (2:30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 14. A total of 52 Japanese ships have been sunk or damaged and at least 270 planes in the battle for the Solomons, while the American losses total 10 ships and an unrevealed number of aircraft, probably less than a quarter of the enemy’s plane losses. The summary of Japanese ships sunk is based on Navy Department figures. '»•• The figures are:— .Sunk:—One heavy cruiser,, six des'ifOyfers. one ‘transport. • Probably Sunk:—One heavy cruiser, six destroyers and one transport. ■ Damaged. Two aircraft-carriers, drib battleship, three heavy cruisers, 12 light cruisers, six destroyers, three aircraft tenders, four transports, two cargo ships ‘and four miscellaneous ships. The American ship sinkings are:— Sunk.—Three cruisers, three destroyers and four 'transports. American vessels also "suffered some damage in this week’s naval action in the Solomons but the particulars of the ships and THfe ’extent of the damage has not been officially reported. The point-blank battle in Guadalcanar Island channel on August 9, in which ‘the Australian cruiser Canberra and three American cruisers, Quincy, Vincennes and Astoria, were sunk, 'Was a constant explosion from beginning to end, according to LieutenantCommander Henry Heneberger, gun’aery officer on the Quincy. Task Accomplished “Our cruisers accomplished their mission,” said Lieutenant-Commander Hefieberg&r. “The Japanese naval -force did riot reach the transports unloading Marines into the Solomons, By opening fire the American warships saved the transports. The Japanese probably sent a small force designed to get in fast to do the maximum dariiage to the transports and then scamper. “The fight developed into a pitched battle. When the enemy was going by at high speed at a range of 2000 or 3000 yards, we fired • on them with everything we had. Ido not know what damage we caused, but I saw Searchlights going out indicating hits.” The New York Times’ correspondent a't Pearl, Harbour says it is unaccountable that the Japanese forces failed to follow 1 up the advantage they gained that terrible night and left the United States transports alone.