PACIFIC SEA POWER

Grey River Argus, 24 November 1942, Page 5

PACIFIC SEA POWER

JAPAN’S LOSSES Indicate Allied Mastery IN NOT DISTANT FUTURE [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 5.5) SYDNEY, Nov. 23. Various authoritative estimates place the number of Japanese warships and of naval transports sunk as being between one hundred and fifty and two hundred. In addition, about one hundred and sixty enemy merchantmen are calculated to have been lost.

A Washington military correspondent writes: “It is difficult to avoid a temptation to see the beginning of the end of Japanese sea power. "It is believed, however, that judged by the fact that the enemy has not yet used any of his new battleships in action, the main Japanese battle fleet is still intact.

“The- maintenance of the Japanese aggressive strategy in the Pacific has required the extensive use of well-balanced task forces. In certain Vital categories, particularly, Japanese naval strength has now been so depleted as to make the assemblage of effective task forces almost impossible.” The Sydney “Herald’s” military commentator, says: “Japan’s irreplaceable losses point the ultimate way to victory in the Pacific. Japan’s carrier strength has been so decimated that she must rely upon seaplane tenders and upon converted liners for carriers. She appears to have lost most of her cruisers. Her losses in the heavy ten-thousand ton cruiser class are greater than in her light cruiser class. Japan cannot have more than nineteen cruisers left. A number of these are known to be severely damaged, leaving only a handful of cruisers on actual service. Japan is therefore in no position to send all of her battleships to sea with the necessary ancillary protection. Her capacity! to despatch task forces of the type deemed most serviceable under the Pacific conditions can scarcely be adequate to protect all of her military activities, ranging from Burma to the Solomon Islands, and up north to the Aleutian Islands. It is highly significant, that Japan used no aircraft carriers in the latest Solomons battle. Her cruiser dilemma appears to be insoluble. Japan must rely upon her battleships and on her destroyers (of which more than a third have been lost) to do work for which 'they were never intended, and under conditions which favour still further' losses.”

U.S.A. DESTROYER LOST. WASHINGTON, Nov. 22. A Navy communique states: Information has just been received that a United States destroyer, which participated in the night action on November 14, during the battle at Guadalcanal’, was damaged by an enemy torpedo, and sank the 'following night, en route to'a United States base. All the officers and crew were rescued. The loss of the destroyer was not included in the previous reports of United States vessels lost in the battle of Guadalcanal'. U.S. AIRCRAFT NEEDS. NEW YORK, November 22. The Associated Press says: The immediate need of more combat ’planes and fast patrol bombers in the Pacific theatre has caused the Government to cancel a large contract for flying cargo-boats with the Nash Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit. Sea Losses in War U.S.A. AND JAPAN. americatTestimate. NEW YORK, Nov. 21. The “New York Times’s” Washington correspondent, Charles Hurd, appraising the effect of the Solomons battle says: A single week changed the military and naval esfmate of the Pacific war from anxiety to confidence. It is conservatively estimated that, the Japanese have lost 325 warships since the war began, compared with less than 90 American warships. These losses include:—

BATTLESHIPS. American .. .. • • 1 Japanese '.. .. ■■ 1 CARRIERS. American .. .. .. 4 Japanese .. • - - ■ 6 CRUISERS. American .. .. .. 6 Japanese .. .. .. 29 DESTROYERS. American .. . • .. 29 Japanese .. .. .. 43 SUBMARINES. American .. .. .. 5 i Japanese .. . - .. 19 TRANSPORTS AND MERCHANTMEN. American .. .. .. 19 Japanese .. ... • • Mr. Hurd continues: Despite these losses the Japanese still may have superiority in tonnage and men in the Pacific, but have probably lost ■the taste for the initiative; until circumstances again force them to take it. Japan, at present, must fight a tenuous defensive action, probably losing Guadalcanar and New Guinea. Rabaul is becoming the subject of daily bombardment, while l the enemy’s main sea force probably must lie at Truk. Thus the way is cleared for early attempts to oust the Japanese from Bougainville, and start the process of rolling them back from their outposts in the conquered possessions. Japan will probably try at least another hard stab, and may send two heavy forces simultaneously against Port Moresby and Guadalcanar, thus attempting to open the door to Australia', and cut off the armies in the Solomons and New Guinea. This action is obvious and necessary, but because it is obvious, Admiral Halsey, is ready. There is no reason to believe our naval leaders ,who outthought and outfought the Japanese last week will not be ready with another bag of tricks when this attempt is actually made. U.S. NAVY SUPERIOR.

NEW YORK, Nov. 20. Mr Glen Perry, of the New York "Sun” reports:. There is every reason to believe that the U.S. Navy is winning the war in the Pacific Assuming the accuracy of the naval communiques—and the Naw is extremely cautious —a hole is being knocked in the Japanese fleet which will not be made up in this war. The box score in the Solomons battle has reached fabulous proportions, and this encounter demonstrates conclusively the absolute superiority of the American Navy, which, after Pearl Harbour, got off the floor and landed a whole series of return blows, achieving miraculous and almost unbelievable things.