JAPAN’S LOSSES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23740, 11 September 1942, Page 5

JAPAN’S LOSSES

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA 300 PLANES DESTROYED (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Ree. 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 10. During the period in which General MacArthur’s South-west Pacific Command has operated, since April 21, at least 477 Japanese aircraft have been shot down, destroyed on the ground, or damaged in this war zone. This is revealed in a review of the 150 communiques issued to date from General Mac Arthur's headquarters. Japanese losses in the recent Solomons fighting are not included. Details of enemy aircraft accounted for by Australian and American airmen are: 30CT bombers, fighters, flyingboats, and float-planes, aestroyed; 70 severely damaged and *probably destroyed; and 107 damaged. The real total is undoubtedly considerably higher. Communiques have frequently referred to the destruction of unspecified numbers of grounded aircraft by bombings, but no official estimate of the number has been made. Of the Japanese aircraft definitely destroyed, more than 200 were fighters. Allied losses in the same period have not always been listed in the communiques. The greatest number of admitted losses in a single operation is four aeroplanes. However, some observers place the ratio of our losses to the Japanese at one to two. The Allied air and naval forces under General MacArthur’s command have inflicted heavy sea losses on the enemy. They have sunk one aircraftcarrier and severely damaged another; sunk three cruisers and damaged four; sunk two destroyers and damaged three; sunk threb ocean-going submarines and four midget submarines; and probably destroyed two more ocean-going submarines and damaged two others; sunk 12 transports and damaged 26; and destroyed five gunboats and an unspecified number of landing barges.

RUSSIANS BOMB BUDAPEST

SMALL-SCALE RAID ON BERLIN (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 10. It is announced in Berlin that Russian bombers last night raided Budapest and other places in Hungary, A Swedish correspondent reports that Berlin had a small-scale raid. Radio stations in Germany and, German-occupied territory went off the air earlier than usual last evening. Deutschlandsender closed down at 7.30 and the Budapest station closed, soon after, except to broadcast occasional A.R.P. messages. The Bratislava and Prague stations in Czechoslovakia were al S°in°gVafrcraft of the Bomber Command carried out raids on western Germany last evening. All returned safely. * Britain’s latest fighter-bombers were tried out yesterday. They are Whirlwinds adapted to carry two bombs. They attacked four enemy trawlers near the' Channel Islands and sank two of them. London had a short alert yesterday. There were no reports of bombs being dropped, although raiders flew in high over the Thames Estuary. There were no raiders .over Britain last night. ’ , The Germans have been forced to stiffen their defences against Royal Air Force attacks. Bomber crews reported that on Tuesday night over the Rhineland they encountered something like 200 to 300 searchlights'in one small area. More anti-aircraft guns are apparent along the coast and the barrage is now terrific. The Secretary for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair) told the House of Commons yesterday that the Royal Air Force had bombed the Italian mainland 10 limes this year. Sicily had been attacked 59 times, and other Italian islands had come in for their share. An emphatic warning that Germany might resume bombing Britain during the winter was given in London to-day by an air-authority. ‘‘The enemy ceaSed bombing Britain when he opened his second front in Russia and left us alone solely because his aircraft were engaged in Russia. Egypt, the Mediterranean, and elsewhere,” he said. "We have taught him a new technique in bombing industrial centres, and there is no reason why. when aircraft are available, he should not send heavy bombers to Britain to take as terrible a vengeance as possible. Therefore. it is necessary to organise civilian as well as aerial defence +o the highest possible degree.” The same speaker paid a tribute to the recent feats of American Flying Fortresses which, he said, had fought with the utmost skill. "Their shooting tactics are good and co-operation between them and ourselves has reached the highest peak." he said. “They have shown great sturdiness and have stood up to punishment well. They are very heavily armed, and German fighters show great respect for them. They have marked a step forward in precision bombing.” .

DEMONSTRATIONS IN INDIA

DETENTION OF GANDHI NEW DELHI, Sept. 8. Manv shops ,in Old and New Delhi were shut when demonstrations were renewed to mark the first month of Mr Gandhi’s detention. A large force of police and troops patrolled a crowd which demonstrated outside the civic centre ox Old Delhi, In Bombay the police arrested 120. including many girls, when students celebrated the arrest of Mr Gandhi. The police fired and used smoke and tear bombs to disperse one mob. Most of the Bombay students took a holiday and demonstrated in front of schools and colleges. The Government of Bihar has announced .that 28 convicts were killed and 87 were injured when 600 attempted to escane from the Bhagalpur central gaol. Two officers, including the deputy superintendent, were burned to death. Three members of the gaol staff were also killed. No political prisoners were involved in the disturbances.

SPECIAL MENTION FOR NEW ZEALANDERS

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 9. Captain David Rattray Macfarlane. 0. of Auckland, who is one of the first three members of the Merchant Navy to be awarded the D.5.0., is commended in the Gazette for his “fortitude, seamanship, and endurance in taking a merchantman through to Malta in the face of relentless attacks by day and night by enemy submarines, aircraft. and surface forces.” Sub-Lieutenant J. F. W. Hardingham (Auckland), and Leading-Seaman W. McKenzie are New Zealanders mentioned in dispatches. New Zealanders who served in the same destroyer in the Dieppe raid were Able Seamen A. W. Martin. J. B. Powell, and A. B. Lynch, Stokers A. Ban.es and I. S. Gunn, and Signaller 1. M. Doull. Among the many New Zealand airmen in the Dieppe raid was. Flight Lieutenant R. Barrett (Wellington), who took part in four sorties. He damaged a German machine. Standard 10,000-ton Ships.—The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander) said in the House of Commons that the single-screw standard ships of 10,000 tons deadweight, and a speed of 11 to 12 knots, were the most economical of material, manpower, and carrying capacity.—Rugby, September 9. Sugar Agreement Renewed.—The five years’ international sugar agreement, signed in London in May, 1937, has been renewed by protocol for two years from August 31, 1942.—Rugby, Septembers.