Japanese Coral Sea Defeat

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 138, 13 June 1942, Page 5

Japanese Coral Sea Defeat

ENEMY LOSSES REVEALED

LONDON, June 12. . Official details of the Coral Sea battle which have been issued in the United States show how great was the victory over the Japanese forces. The communique issued in Washington tonight reveals that the Allied victory was overwhelming and the reports of the battle put out by the Japanese while it was going on were completely false. In the battles around the Coral Sea, the Japanese casualties were:— LOST. More than 15 ships, including the new aircraft-carrier Rykaku, three heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and two destroyers. PROBABLY SUNK. One cruiser and one destroyer. SEVERELY DAMAGED. More than 20 ships, including the aircraft-carrier Shokaku, three cruisers, three destroyers, and two aircraft-tenders. DESTROYED. More than 100 aircraft. The United States naval forces lost only three ships throughout the entire action —the aircraft-carrier Lexington, the destroyer Sims, and the tanker Neosho.

The United States Navy Department coniniunique states that the previous withholding- of the information gave the navy security which was a corner-stone in building the Midway victory. In early March, the communique says, the Japanese were observed to be concentrating transport and combatant ships in the ports of Salamaua and Lac. in New Guinea, apparently in preparation for an assault on Port Moresby, on the south coast of the island. At the same time the bases of Salamaua and Lac had been subjected to air attacks by United States and Australian shore-based aircraft from Australia. NAVAL FORCE ARRIVES. On March 10 a number of aircraft from a Pacific task force, commanded by Vice-Admiral Wilson Brown, joined