DESTRUCTION OF U.S. CHIN ISLAND BASE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 291, 9 December 1941, Page 7

DESTRUCTION OF U.S. CHIN ISLAND BASE

HEAVY NAVAL LOSSES Many Planes Put Out Of Commission At Hawaii United Press Association—Copyrigtii. Rec. 11 a.m. WASHINGTON. Dec. S. President Roosevelt is reported to have told Congressmen that the United States base at Guam Island is virtually destroyed. In addition to Wake Island, Midway Island, northwest of Hawaii, was also attacked. A main fleet unit was in Pearl Harbour (Honolulu) when the Japanese attacked. A White House statement said that in addition to an old battleship capsized in Pearl Harbour, several other ships were seriously damaged. One destrover was blown up and several small ships were seriously hit. Several hangars were destroyed at the army and navy airfields, and a large number of planes were put out of commission. A Tokyo message says the navjsection at the Imperial headquarters claimed that two American battleships had been sunk and four others damaged. It is claimed that four heaVy cruisers were damaged in Pearl Harbour by Japanese naval bombers during yesterday's attack. The. statement said there were no Japanese losses. Japanese losses It is officially stated that several Japanese submarines and planes were destroyed yesterday. Active resistance is still continuing in the vicinity of Hawaii. The commander of the United States Asiatic Fleet, Admiral T. C. Hart, announced that a small contingent of American marines at Peiping and the gunboat Wake at Shanghai had been forced to surrender. Imperial headquarters at Tokyo claimed that a Japanese submarine sank an American aircraft carrier off Honolulu. The Domei agencv reports that American naval losse& so far are the battleships Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, an aircraft, carrier, two destroyers and two tankers. Fate of U.S. Aircraft Carrier According to a message from New York, the National Broadcasting Company said the United States aircraft carrier Langley was reported unofficially from Manila to have been damaged in action with Japanese forces.

Tokyo says that 63 American marines guarding the United States Consulate at Tientsin have been captured and disarmed. A radio message from Manila says the United States transport General Hugh Scot, formerly the President Pierce (12,579 tons), has been sunk 1600 miles from Manila, and the President Harrison (10,509 tons) has either - been seized or sunk off Shanghai. It is reliably reported that Japan has sent out a number of commerce raiders into the Pacific and Indian Oceans to prey on merchantmen carrying war materials to Britain and America, says the New York Times Washington correspondent. It is understood that all Allied ships have been warned of the presence of raiders which are attempting to take advantage of the period before Allied defences are mobilised. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times says United States warships are expected to operate out of Singapore as soon as possible, protecting vital rubber shipments necessary to the American war programme. Further detailed discussions will soon take place between America, Britain, China and the Netherlands to devise a "total scheme" of limiting the activities of the Japanese Fleet. Immediate steps will be taken to meet the increased menace to the Burma Road. President Roosevelt conferred for hours last night with his naval and military chiefs and with the heads of other Departments. The Tokyo radio to-day said it is believed there that Germany will declare war on the United States within 24 hours.