NINE SHIPS SUNK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20823, 30 June 1942, Page 3

NINE SHIPS SUNK

MIDWAY_BATTLE 11 OTHERS DAMAGED FOUR CARRIERS LOST (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (9 a.m.) PEARL HARBOUR. June 29. A Navy Department statement in an analysis of reports of the Midway Island battle early this month reveals the following more complete list of losses inflicted on the Japanese fleet: Four aircraft carriers, the Akagi, Kagi, Soryu, and Kiryu, sunk, and all their aircraft, totalling 275, lost, and all the plane crews lost except a few picked up by Japanese ships. Two, and probably three, battleships damaged, one severely. Two heavy cruisers, probably the Mogami and Mikuma, sunk, and three or more others damaged. A light cruiser damaged. Three destroyers sunk and an additional destroyer possibly sunk. Four transports or cargo vessels hit by bombs or torpedoes and one or more probably sunk. The personnel losses in the sunken ships and bombed ships was extremely heavy. In the original report of the battle it was stated that two or three Japanest aircraft carriers had been sunk and one or two damaged. The only other losses definitely" claimed were three destroyers. Originally it was stated 14 Japanese ships were sunk or. damaged. The revised figures show that nine ships were sunk and 11 or 12 others damaged, some of them probably sunk. The Akagi and Kagi, each of 2G.900 tons, were Japan’s largest aircraft carriers, the former having been completed in 1929 and the Kagi the fol-‘ lowing year. They carried 110 planes between them. The Soryu was completed in 1939. It was of 10,050 tons, had a speed of 30 knots, and carried 40 planes. The Kiryu was only completed last year and was of the same size as the Soryu. The Mogami and Mikuma were 8500-ton cruisers in a class of four completed between 1935 and 1937. They had a §peed of 33 knots, and their main armament was 16 6in. guns. Each carried four aircraft.