CORAL SEA BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 June 1942, Page 3

CORAL SEA BATTLE

OVERWHELMING ALLIED VICTORY Facts Given in Washington Communique FIFTEEN JAPANESE SHIPS SUNK AND MANY OTHERS DAMAGED AMERICANS LOSE AIRCRAFT-CARRIER LEXINGTON AND TWO OTHER VESSELS LONDON, June 12. A communique issued in Washington and dealing with the great naval battle in the Coral Sea early last month shows how overwhelming was the Allied victory and how completely false were the reports the Japanese put out while the battle was going on. THE JAPANESE LOSSES WERE:— SUNK: FIFTEEN SHIPS, INCLUDING A NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER; THREE HEAVY CRUISERS; ONE LIGHT CRUISER, AND TWO DESTROYERS. PROBABLY SUNK: ONE CRUISER, ONE DESTROYER. SEVERELY DAMAGED: MORE THAN 20 SHIPS, INCLUDING AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THREE DESTROYERS, AND TWO AIRCRAFT TENDERS. MORE THAN 100 JAPANESE AIRCRAFT WERE DESTROYED. THE UNITED STATES LOST THREE SHIPS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ACTION, INCLUDING THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER LEXINGTON, A DESTROYER AND A TANKER. (The Lexington was a ship of 33,000 tons, completed in 1927. She had a speed of 33.5 knots and carried about 80 aircraft. She was armed with eight 8-incli guns and twelve 5-inch anti-aircraft guns). A British Official Wireless message states that the new Japanese aircraft-carrier sunk in the Coral Sea battle was the Ukaku. The enemy aircraft-carrier Shukaku was severely damaged. | The American ships lost in addition to the Lexington were the destroyer Simms and the tanker Neosho. Early in March, the Japanese began concentrating’ transports and warships at Salamaua and Lae, in New Guinea, apparently in preparation for an assault on Port Moresby. On March 10, aircraft from a Pacific task force, together with United States and Australian shore-based aircraft, attacked the enemy concentration and severely damaged more than 20 Japanese ships and destroyed shore installations. This set back the Japanese plans for two months. Early in May the enemy again concentrated transports and warships at three bases in the Solomon and Louisiade Islands. On May 4, a task force of the Pacific Fleet caught part of the Japanese invasion fleet completely by surprise 'in a harbour in the Solomons and the enemy forces were almost annihilated. The United States losses were only three planes. f Two days later, the second part of the battle took place. Aircraft attacked the main Japanese forces off the Louisiade Archipelago. In this action an enemy aircraft carrier was sunk, together with a heavy cruiser. The battle continued for 48 hours. Another Japanese aircraft-carrier was hit by bombs and torpedo and left blazing. On this day the United States forces suffered their one serious loss. The aircraft-carrier Lexington was set on fire and sunk. Ninety-two per cent of the ship’s complement was rescued and reached port safely. The Japanese claimed falsely to have sunk a battleship, two aircraft-carriers, two heavy cruisers and one British destroyer.