NAVAL WARFARE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 86, 22 January 1942, Page 5

NAVAL WARFARE.

A JAPANESE CLAIM SUCCESSES. MINISTER TOTALS VICTIMS. (Rec. 9.35 a.m.) TOKIO, Jan. 21. In the Diet the Minister for the Navy (Admiral Sliimada) asserted that the Japanese Navy now virtually commands the entire Pacific from Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies to the west coast of the United States. He. claimed the following achievements: Warships Sunk—Seven battleships, two aircraft-cerriers, two cruisers, six destroyers, 18 submarines, 20 other warships. Warships Damaged—Four battleships, six cruisers, one seaplane tender, three destroyers. Merchantmen Sunk—Thirty-five. Merchantmen Damaged Twentyeight. Aircraft Damaged or Destroyed—--977. The Minister claimed that Japanese submarines operating off the coast of the United States sunk ten vessels, aggregating 70,000 tons and heavily damaged three others totalling -30,000 tons, while they lightly damaged five, totalling 40,000 tons. He admitted that Japanese naval losses in the war were four destroyers, four mine-sweep-ers, three submarines, four transports, and sixty-seven aircraft. One cruiser was slightly damaged.