PRAISE FOR U.S. FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 24891, 3 November 1942, Page 5

PRAISE FOR U.S. FORCES

GUADALCANAR BATTLE (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov 2. With a lull in the Solomons fighting Australian war commentators pay a tribute to the American forces, particularly the Marines on Guadalcanal', who have fought so gallantly to stem the Japanese advance. “But for their heroism Australia today would be in imminent danger or assault,” says The Sun, Sydney, in an editorial today. ‘‘The plain fact is that the Japanese have been worsted in their third and most heavily-mounted attempt to retake Guadalcanal',” declared The Sydney Morning Herald. “The margin may have been small, but with the supply line intact and American prestige and strategical interest closely involved in the struggle there is reason for cautious confidence that the airfield will now be kept out of Japanese hands. The disclosure of the toll of the great sea and air battle fought last Monday between United States and Japanese carrier forces in the Solomons reveals that the enemy took a heavy beating. Earlier summaries state that Japan had two aircraft-carriers, two battleships and three cruisers damaged, 100 planes damaged and 50 probably destroyed. The Americans lost an aircraft-carrier and a destroyer. The name of the carrier has not been disclosed. JAPANESE SHIPS BATTERED

Some of the Japanese ships were so badly hammered that it is probable they will never reach home. One Zuikaku class carrier received six heavy bomb hits, while another carrier of the same class was twice hit with medium bombs. Two heavy bomb hits were scored on a battleship of the Kongo class, with one heavy bomb on a second battleship. Five medium bomb hits were made on a cruiser of the Tikuma class, torpedo and bomb hits on a second heavy cruiser and two torpedo hits on a third heavy cruiser. The toll of the rival navies since the Solomons fighting began on August 7 now is:—

Japan.—Seventy-seven ships sunk or damaged. America. —Fifteen sunk (two carriers, three cruisers, six destroyers, four transports) and an unstated number damaged. Japan’s certain plane losses have now reached 528. These figures take no account of ships and planes destroyed by aircraft of General Douglas MacArthur’s command. SEVERAL CARRIERS

The presence of several United States aircraft-carriers in the South-west Pacific has been inferred by American news analysis from the refusal of the naval authorities to name the carrier sunk in last Monday’s engagement near Santa Cruz. Harry Flannery, the noted Columbia system broadcaster, says it is likely that at least one Japanese carrier was also sunk in the engagement, which he assesses as proving the all-important air superiority of the Americans. But he warns against over-optimism as the “Japanese are sure either to return in new force to Guadalcanar or to strike at another Allied island outpost in the Pacific.” WAR ECONOMY OF AUSTRALIA “MOST SACRIFICIAL STAGE” (Rec. 10.25 p.m.) CANBERRA, Nov. 2. Australia is approaching the third, last and most sacrificial stage of war economy, in which civilians will be living on considerably lower standards than those to which they have been accustomed,” declared the Australian Prices Commissioner, Professor D. G. Copland, who is a New Zealander. “I suggest that this will be a period of much greater tranquility than the present period. We shall then have reorganized our lives, industries, consumption and general standards of conduct and' enjoyment.” Professor Copland visualizes the following standards for Australia’s third war stage:— Private enterprise will be working on certain terms for the Government. The community’s resources will be allocated according to a general plan arrived at after a review of the community’s whole needs. Civil consumption will be controlled by rationing much more than today. There will be more Government direction of productive methods, with increased rationalization. Investment will be confined almost entirely to war needs. Incomes and prices will be stabilized. Taxation will be the maximum consistent with the retention of incentive and surplus spending will be immobilized.

BELLIGERENTS’ NAVIES JAPAN THIRD IN WORLD LONDON, November 1. Japan still ranks third in world naval strength, according to Francis McMurtrie, editor of Jane’s Fighting Ships and The Sunday Express naval correspondent, commenting on the recent statement of Vice-Admiral Edwards, second-in-command of the American Fleet. Mr McMurtrie says: “With the Anson and the Howe commissioned the British Navy, has 15 battleships. This equals United States battleship strength, although America is soon to launch the South Dakota, making 16 battleships. The Japanese Navy has only 10 battleships, unless one or two of the 45,000ton vessels under construction have been delivered recently. “Chungking reported some time ago that these ships were almost ready for service. Britain has six aircraft-car-riers and the United States four, with others nearing completion. Japan, as far as can be ascei-tained, has four, possibly five. A comparison of auxiliary cruisers—converted merchantmen—is more difficult, but the United States is well placed with at least 15. They .do not accompany the fleet, but are engaged in tasks to which their comparatively slow speed is better suited.”