PACIFIC BALANCE OF SEA POWER

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 31, 31 October 1942, Page 8

PACIFIC BALANCE OF SEA POWER

Japanese Strength (Received October 31, 1.40 a.m.) NEW YORK, October 29. “Till American naval superiority is established a further offensive in the Solomon Islands is unlikely and the defence of Guadalcanal will be imperilled,” says the “New York Times’ ” commentator, Hanson Baldwin. “Japan started the war with a clear-cut numerical superiority in warships in the Pacific, and in spite of her losses in the Coral Sea and Midway battles she still holds superiority in carriers and is at least equal to our Pacific Fleet in battleships, cruisers, and destroyers and perhaps in submarines. “Japan’s carrier strength has been considerably reduced, but she still musters a minimum of five and a maximum of nine carriers. She also has 12 to 14 (battleships and 20 to 30 cruisers. “Japan’s Pacific superiority is being slowly whittled down by the losses and the growing output of the American shipyards, which have replaced outdated carriers by new Vessels and built the new (battleships North Carolina and Washington. Eour vessels of the 35,000 ions South Dakota class (22 knots, nine 16-inch guns) have already been Commissioned or can be commissioned this year. Furthermore, a new tyjie of anti-aircraft cruiser has been commissioned, and scores of submarines with a very great radius are under construction.

“Tliep ro’spects of growing American air superiority are even more favourable. Japan’s reserves in planes and pilots are limited, and therefore the continuity of her air effort is impaired. Informed circles estimate the capacity of Japanese production at 800 planes a month or a maximum of 1200, of which 900 are combat aircraft, while the American production is 6000 a month, and is still mounting. “In the first months of 1943 Japan should begin to feel the weight of our numbers by air and sea.” '