JAPAN’S LOSSES IN THE AIR

Southland Times, Issue 24882, 23 October 1942, Page 5

JAPAN’S LOSSES IN THE AIR

POSSIBLE WEAKNESS IN WAR MACHINE

(Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 21. “The latest Navy Department communique indicating that the Solomons battle has not yet been joined is based c-n recent reports and presumably serves as a reply to continued. Axis radio reports that a great battle is raging in the Solomons,” says the Washington correspondent of The New York Times. “United States Navy officials, however, decline to discuss this propaganda. It appears likely that the Japanese may have indicated to their Axis allies that a major attack was under way on Guadalcanar. “Observers have noted the quick announcement of the loss of the destroyers Meredith and O’Brien as indicating the inauguration of a new Navy policy in such matters. Previously news of sinkings has been withheld for as long as three months.” P.M.’s Washington correspondent says American air experts regard the- disproportionate Japanese losses of bombers and fighters in the Solomons as an infallible indication of a vital weakness in Japan’s war strength. They suggest that the casualties have so thinned the ranks of first-line Japanese pilots that inexperienced flyers are now being sent into battle. In the air battle last Saturday the enemy lost almost 50 per cent, of his raiding force, which is unprecedented •in aerial warfare and far beyond the allowance of expenditure. The Japanese have lost more than 350 planes so far in the battle for Guadalcanar—a number far out of proportion to the scale of the engagement. TRAINING CUT DOWN , “Despite the American air superiority in the Guadalcanar area,” says P.M., “the Japanese are risking their battle fleet, bearing out deductions that the Japanese cannot rely on their aviation to help to wrest the island from the Allies. Airmen declare there Is evidence that the Japanese Air Force has cut . down the period of training for aviators from 10 months to six months or less in order to increase the flow of fighting pilots. If the Japanese aircraft production is maintained at the comparatively high rate of 500 planes a month it will be impossible for the i Japanese to man planes at the rate they I have been losing first-line pilots in I the past few months. They are con- | fessing this weakness in their war machine by placing inexperienced flyers in the important battle raging around Guadalcanar.” TWO DESTROYERS LOST | (Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct 21. j A Navy Department communique •says that the destroyers Meredith and O’Brien have been lost within the last few days as the result of enemy action in the Solomons area. A report of the casualties has not been received, but it is believed that all the personnel of the O'Brien and many of the personnel pf the Meredith have been rescued. “A large number of enemy ships continues to be sighted in the Solomons area. Small units have been located and attacked in the Southern Solomons,” states the communique. “There was little recent troop activity on Guadalcanar. Our aircraft are continuing to bomb enemy positions. “Early on Monday afternoon enemy aircraft attacked our Guadalcanar positions. Grumman Wildcats shot down two Zeros. One Wildcat was lost. Later in the afternoon Douglas dive-bombers attacked three enemy destroyers westward of Guadalcanar. One destroyer was damaged and an escorting seaplane was shot down. On Monday night naval aircraft attacked an enemy cruiser westward of Guadalcanar. The cruiser was damaged and stopped by at least one bomb hit. Early in the morning naval aircraft bombed enemy supply dumps and positions north-west of Guadalcanar. Late in the morning approximately 30 Zeros flew over the airfield. Sixteen bombers escorted by fighters followed an hour later. Two enemy bombers and seven Zeros were shot down. Two United States fighters were lost.”