VICTORY FOR ALLIED FORCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24270, 11 May 1942, Page 5

VICTORY FOR ALLIED FORCES

POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER ATTEMPTS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (.Received May 10, 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 10 No further fighting has been reported in the Battle of the Coral Sea, which on Saturday was stated to have temporarily ceased. The United States Navy Department announced on Saturday night that reports received to date failed to substantiate the loss of any United States aircraft-carrier or battleship. The only official information regarding the Allied losses is that they are "relatively light" compared with the Japanese losses. The United States Secretary for the Navy, Colonel Frank Knox, spoke of the battle as a " magnificent Victory." The Secretary of State, Mr. Cord ell Hull, said it was difficult to Terrain from expressions equal to the magnitude of the victoryreported from the Coral Sea, but he could not make a fuller statement until all the facts had been received. The Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. J. Curtin, described the battle as one which had to be fought, and said he had no doubt that others would follow. He added that Australians had played an important part in the composition of the forces which clashed with the Japanese and put them to flight. Enemy Admits Loss of 31 Planes It appears that the action, or series of actions, extended over five days and it is reported that combined land-based aircraft, including Australian bombers, and big naval forces engaged the Japanese. Starting in the Solomons, the battle apparently extended over 192,000 square miles of water. It is believed the action may affect Japanese operations in the Indian Ocean by forcing a new disposition of enemy forces. The latest toll of enemy losses, given in a Washington communique, is nine Japanese warships sunk, including an aircraft-carrier and a heavy cruiser, and three enemy warships damaged, also including an aircraft-carrier and a heavy cruiser. Tokio admits the loss of a small aircraft-carrier and says that 31

Japanese planes failed to return. Reports of higher losses incurred by Japan have been received from some sources but they have not had any official confirmation. One correspondent at an advanced Allied base, for instance, says it is known that the enemy losses are 18 warships sunk, including two aircraft-carriers, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, nine destroyers, four gunboats, and one supply vessel. He says also that four enemy ships were badly damaged, namely, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, one 9000-ton seaplane tender and one cargo vessel. This correspondent adds that the Japanese broke off the engagement and are speeding northward in an attempt to get beyond range of the Allied bombers. Fate of Second Aircraft-Carrier In stating that the Japanese Navy has suffered its greatest defeat of the Pacific war, the Sydney Morning Herald correspondent at an advanced Allied base, says that dive-bombers from United States aircraft-carriers caught a huge enemy concentration of shipping and sank two large aircraft-carriers, at least one cruiser, and seven destroyers, and damaged many other ships. One of the aircraft-carriers, he says, was attacked by wave after wave of American dive-bombers until it rolled over and sank immediately. The second carrier was bombed and torpedoed and sank when ablaze from stem to stern. The whole Japanese force was scattered. As against this report, a special communique issued on Saturday afternoon from the headquarters of the South-west Pacific Command makes no reference to the loss by the Japanese of the second aircraft-carrier —which was previously reported to be heavily damaged—and of six or seven destroyers. Mr. Curtin has left Canberra for Allied headquarters to discuss with General Mac Arthur developments arising from the battle.