BLACK OCTOBER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 107, 2 November 1942, Page 3

BLACK OCTOBER

PLANES HAMMER JAP BASES

(By Telwaph—Press Association—Copyri.ht.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Rec. 2 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 2. The success of Australia-based Flying Fortresses in raids against the Japanese, bases and war shipping |n the South-west Pacific has beeft outstanding. : It Js now revealed that two JapMfrese.battiesbips, or heavy cruisers, received direct hits with 5001b bombs in Friday's raid on enemy shipping: in the Buin-Faisi area. Earlier reports suggested that the same ship might have been hit on both occasions. '" A bomb is believed to have penetrated the magazine of- the enemy heavy cruiser which blew up after receiving a direct hit in Saturday's Bum Faisi raid. Air reconnaissance over Rabaul on Saturday afternoon revealed that a warship had been damaged and a 5000-ton cargo vessel sunk by a Flying Fortress raid earlier in the day. The warship was listing badly and the water around it was covered with oil. JAP LOSSES LISTED. October was a black month for the Japanese bases within range of General Mac Arthur's heavy bombers. The losses inflicted on the enemy by aircraft of the South-west Pacific Command included:— Sunk pr destroyed: A heavy cruiser, a medium-sized merchantman, a gunboat, 10' Zero fighters and four bombers. Believed destroyed: A 7000-ton sea-plane-tender, three medium-sized merchantmen. Sunk or badly damaged: Two cruisers, a destroyer, eight merchantmen, and seven flying-boats. Severely damaged: A 10,000-ton seaplane tender, and a light cruiser. Directly, hit: Two heavy cruisers or battleships,, two large merchantmen (one of 15,000 tons), and nine other ships. Ih addition, 13 other ships, ranging from an aircraft-carrier to a small cargo vessel, are claimed as probably i damaged. Japan still ranks third in world naval strength, according to Mr. Francis McMurtie. editor of "Jane's Fighting Ships" and London "Sunday Express" naval correspondent. BIG SHIP STRENGTH. Commenting on the recent statements of ; Vice-Admiral Edwards, second in command Of the United States fleet, Mr. McMurtie says: "With the Anson and Howe commissioned, the British •Navy has 15 battleships. This equals the United States battleship strength, i although America is soon to launch, the South Dakota, making 16. The I Japanese.navy has only 10 Battleships, •vttmeiss'"""ieMj_?~'-;of two; 45-000-tonners •under construction has been delivered recently. [Chungking reports some time ago claimed'that these ships were almost ready for service.] Britain has six aircraft-carriers. The United States has four, with others nearing completion. Japan, as far as can be, ascertained, has four, and possibly five. "The comparison of auxiliary cruisers —converted merchantmen-—is more difficult, but the- United States is well placed with at least 15. They do not accompany the fleet, but are engaged ih tasks to which their comparatively slow speed is better suited."