The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun MONDAY, FEBRL'AUY 23, 1942. JAPANESE NAVAL LOSSES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1942, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun MONDAY, FEBRL'AUY 23, 1942. JAPANESE NAVAL LOSSES

have never challenged an enemy recklessly. We have never said M.ai our defences were impregnable. We have onlv said that we v defend ourselves to the last man." In these words, ten days ago « IJatJivii. newspaper expressed the spirit in which the Dutch awaited •»" ■'■'"in which they knew would follow the then imminent fall of

Siim.ipi.i-p Their actions befit their words. They know they are fighting '■'"•"ii ; t .Kids, hut they refuse to regard the odds as hopeless, and they "'■'' <l«'l-rmincd to make the enemy pay heavily for everything he "•vets, and, by efficiently "parching the earth." to rob him of much ol the immediate value of what he gains. They and the Americans made him pay in the Macassar Strait and off Amboina, and now, off Bali, they are making him pay again. Although details of the engagement tire still awaited, it seems clear that under the vigorous and skilful leadership of Vlre-Admiral Helfrich the Allied naval force has struck the enemy hard, and that, between naval and air attacks, Japanese cruiser strength is being whittled away in considerable pieces.

The«p naval losses inflicted on the enemy are important. After the I nitPd states naval raid on the Japanese mandated islands it was competently estimated that since the war began 20 cruisers had been sunk or damaged, out of a total of .'in. The dourer of damage in anv case is c iiiicult or impossible to ascertain, but fur the Japanese, so far from their liases, almost any damage to a cruiser is serious. The further losses inflicted off Bali—one cruiser sunk and five damaged are claimed nt the time of writing—are therefore of great importance, even though they may not. prevent the Japanese from achieving their purpose. The 1 -itish nations know the value of cruisers, and how an insufficiency of in -m restricts freedom of action. The Japanese, whose victories to date have imposed upon them a host of new responsibilities, to discharge which the maintenance of their sea power is essential, may presently leurn the same lesson.

When Singapore fell, making it possible for the Japanese Navy to gel into the Indian Ocean, it became evident that the task of aiding the Dutch would fall primarily on the I'nited States. There is no report ol additional American naval forces having arrived in the Indies but it seems clear that American air forces which have arrived are plavine mi important, part in the conflict, and heavier contingents are expected shortly Considering the distances involved, distances increased bv circuitous routes, the first contingents cannot be said to have been slow and there seems ground for hope that American aid will presentlv be substantial. At the same time the obvious Dutch desire for militarv aid from Australia emphasises that their need is grave, though perhaps not, yet extreme Naturally they feel that the proper place for the Australians to defend Australia is in Java, but the Canberra Government which has just lost over 18,000 men in Malaya, may not feel disposed to risk another force outside the Commonwealth