REMAINING SHIPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25036, 28 October 1944, Page 7

REMAINING SHIPS

A SIZABLE FOECE ENEMY'S UNHAPPY STATE (Reed. 9.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 "The remaining Japanese ships represent a sizable force," said the Secretary of the Navy, Mr J. V. Forrestal, in a Navy Day speech. "Many remain afloat more or less damaged, and as we know from experience, crippled vessels may be able to reach port, undergo repairs and come out and fight again. "We reduced, temporarily at least, the Japanese Navy to a much more unhappy condition than that which confronted ns after the Pearl Harbour raid." Naval and military spokesmen said that although the crushing defeat of the Japanese Fleet creates a crisis for Japan, it would be a mistake to imagine that the remnants of the battered fleet would not fight again or that the end of the Pacific war was in sight. They said that the remaining enemy ships, which were not inconsiderable in number, were in a position to make more than a nuisance of themselves. If the Japanese used their ships boldly and desperately, they could harass our shipping lanes and interfere with our landing operations. Hanson Baldwin, writing in the New York Times, says that possibly the major part of the Japanese Fleet, unless trapped yesterday or today, again i escaped annihilation. Probably the i American losses are somewhat heavier i than was at first thought, i The Pearl Harbour correspondent of ■ the New York Times, oil the other hand, reports that the Japanese Navy was so . decisively beaten it is no longer a major factor to be reckoned with in immediate American war plans. Such damaged enemy elements which manage to return to their home ports will only be ineffective fragments of the great force sent out to crush the Americans, ft will be many months before the Japanese Fleet can be repaired and reconstituted as a fighting force. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE PLANES HARASS SHIPS CRUISER AND DESTROYER (Reed.- 7.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 The crippled remnants of two Japanese naval forces are fleeing westward, with our pursuing carrier planes inflicting additional damage, says the United Press correspondent on board ViceAdmiral Kinkaid's flagship. The southern enemy force, which lost heavily in the Surigao Strait, steamed northward during the night along the west coast of Leyte and entered the Camotes Sea this morning, apparently trying to join the # northern fleet. The southern force, which was originally estimated at 14 or 15 ships, is now composed of one heavy cruiser and five destroyers. Wildcats and Avengers attacked these ships near Zoaol in the middle of the morning with _ rockets and bombs, severely damaging the cruiser and one destroyer._ The northern force, originally estimated at 25 ships, fled into the Visayan Sea, leaving behind three crippled ships —a battleship, a heavy cruiser and a destroyer. GAINS BY CHINESE TWO SUCCESSFUL ACTIONS (Reed. 8.10 p.m.) CHUNGKING, Oct. 20 A Chinese communique announces that the Chinese wiped out part of a Japanese force eight miles semth-west of Kweipina, on the West River front, Southern Kwangsi. Kiveiping is about 70 miles to the. south-east of Liuchow, site of the American air base and the immediate objective of the Japanese campaign. A Chinese military spokesman claimed a major victory for the defenders of Kweilin. He asserted that the Chinese annihilated a Japanese column at Sungkaingkn, 22 miles north-east of Kweilin. A Japanese spearhead, trying to outflank Taiungkiang. marched into a trap. The Chinese cut the Japanese line of retreat and then attacked from three (sides, wiping out an entire enemy force, killing, capturing or wonnding riOO. FORCES FOR PACIFIC EXTENT OF CANADA'S ROLE (Rccd. fi.Bo p.m.) OTTAWA, Oct. 27 The size and nature of Canada's participation in the Pacific war is at present under study by the Government, says the Canadian press. However, it is understood that Canada plans no general concentration in the Pacific until the European war is ended. _ _ All members of the services participating will be volunteers. Most wul return to -Canada for leave before continuing to the Pacific. One-third of Canada's naval strength will participate, this possibly being 300 snips, inciuding cruisers, carriers and destroyers Canada will furnish an army d'/ision. possibly reconstituted from . h ® /, s ; Division now in Italy. __ One-tlnrd ofthe I Canadian air forces will also take part. |