JAPANESE LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 November 1943, Page 3

JAPANESE LOSSES

IN NAVAL ACTION OFF BOUGAINVILLE AT LEAST ONE CRUISER & FOUR DESTROYERS. SEVENTEEN ENEMY PLANES SHOT DOWN. (Special Australian Correspondent.)' SYDNEY, November 5. At least one Japanese cruiser and- four destroyers were sunk in a 90-minute battle with Allied warships off Bougainville, in the northern Solomons last Monday night. Two other enemy cruisers and two destroyers were damaged. These ships were part of an enemy task' force of cruisers and destroyers, 12 ships in all, which attempted to intercept the American landing at Empress Augusta Bay. It is believed that the Japanese task force comprised four cruisers and eight destroyers. In a subsequent air battle fought as a subsidary to the naval action, 17 Japanese planes were shot down. No Allied vessels were lost, though damage and casualties were sustained. This additional news of naval and air actions fought as part of the Bougainville landings is given in General MacArthur’s latest communique. The Japanese warships steaming south were intercepted by the Allied naval screen 40 miles from the landing point. Completely outmanoeuvred, the enemy ships broke off the engagement after three-quarters of their number had been hit. Only scant details of the action are yet available, but it is likely that the Japanese warships did not fire more than a few shots before they split into three groups and fled to the north. The indications are that the damage to the Allied naval force was not inflicted by enemy warships but by the subsequent enemy air attack'. After two hours of mopping up, the Alliedships regrouped for protection against air,attack. About 8.30 on Tuesday morning, the Japanese -sent over 67 bombers and fighters. Land-based Allied intercepting fighters appeared on the scene and 17 enemy planes were shot down in battle or by anti-air-craft fire. These claims have not been included in earlier reports of the, heavy Japanese losses during the Bougainville landing. The enemy may still be attempting to reinforce his Bougainville garrisons. Early on Wednesday morning, a Liberator sighted a convoy of three destroyers and three large merchantmen moving south of Kavieng, New Ireland. One merchant vessel was damaged. Off Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, a Liberator sank a -8000-ton merchantman. A terrific explosion followed direct bomb hits and the ship immediately went down.