PYRRHIC VICTORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24281, 23 May 1942, Page 7

PYRRHIC VICTORY

CORAL SEA BATTLE LURID JAPANESE DETAILS NEW YORK. May '2l Tokio official radio to-day, in an apparent attempt to elicit information by the Domei agency, broadcast what purported to bo details of the Coral Sea Battle. The announcer said the battle was fought on two days, May 7 and 8. The battle on the first day was similar to that off Malaya. Powerful British and American fleets wore lured into the northern part of the Cornl Sea hv a feint carried out by a small Japanese aircraft-carrier. "Our naval force speedily trapped the enemy fleet in an effort to finish it at one fell swoop," the spokesman said. Then he reiterated previous claims of the losses inflicted. He said the battle was modern in every sense. Several hundred Japanese and enemy planes violently stormed at each other. "Although the Japanese were outnumbered seriously, we sank two powerful aircraft-carriers with all their planes aboard, and fjhot down additional aircraft four times the number of those destroyed with the carriers, proving that the Japanese fighting strength in the air is superior to that of the enemy. "What surprised us was the desperate retreat of the enemy," the spokesman said, and then gave a dissertation on American secrecy in the obvious effort to elicit information. He proceeded: "The Coral Sea has become our patrol zone. This should make it clear who was victorious." 5000 AMERICANS LAND LONDON, May 21 A report from Algeciras states that two cruisers and an aircraft-carrier arrived at Gibraltar, followed by a steamer carrying 5000 American troops.