NAVAL WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1942, Page 3

NAVAL WAR

JAPANESE & AMERICAN LOSSES RECENT SUCCESSES OF U.S.A.' SUBMARINES. DESTROYER PEARY LOST AT DARWIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, April 4. A Navy communique says: “The latest reports indicate that United States submarines operating in the Java Sea and Indian Sea inflicted the following damage on the enemy: “A light cruiser sunk off Christmas Island; another light cruiser damaged off Christmas Island by torpedo, and the same cruiser on the following day probably sunk. “Further, two seaplane tenders damaged near Bali. “Further, a supply ship damaged ~ near Lombok Island. “Further, one large transport and one unidentified ship torpedoed and damaged near Bali. “The above damage is not reported in any previous communique." i. The official compilation of the losses which have been inflicted hitherto on the Japanese ife: Warships, 21 sunk, seven sunk or probably sunk, two possibly sunk and 4 22 damaged. Non-combatant ships: 48 sunk, five sunk or probably sunk, nine believed sunk and 14 damaged. A Navy communique says: “The i United States aircraft-tender Langley, the naval tanker Pecos and the detroyer Peary were sunk by enemy action in the vicinity of northern Australia and the waters south of Java in .February and early in March. A number of survivors were rescued. Japanese reports falsely claimed the sinking of the Langley at least three times during the first’month of the war. The Langley was sunk after a prolonged enemy attack south of Java late in February. All the personnel except for a dozen men survived and were transferred to the Pecos, which was sunk a few days later. “The Peary was sunk in Darwin harbour on about February 19 (the day of the opening heavy attack on Darwin). Observers said that the conduct of her crew in her last engagement was beyond all praise. The gun crews remained at their stations, continuing to fire till they were forced by the rising water to abandon stations. A number of survivors were later rescued. “Commander Robert McConnell, of the Langley, and Commander Elmer Abernethy, of the Pecos, were rescued, but Lieutenant-Commander John Bermingham, of the Peary, _was killed.” The loss of life aboard the Langley, Peary and Pecos, is unofficially estimated at 700 The Navy has hot revealed the number of casualties, but the normal combined complements of the three ships were 1156 officers and men. The total losses of United States naval vessels since December 6 due to