ALLIED LOSSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24912, 11 May 1942, Page 5

ALLIED LOSSES

RELATIVELY LIGHT ENEMY'S FANTASTIC CLAIMS (Rec. 1 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 10. A communique from General MacArthur's headquarters describes the Japanese claims of Allied warships sunk during the operations as fantastic. The communique says the enemy version of the battle is entirely fictional and has no semblance of truth. ... "It must be regarded in the light of propaganda- rather than a military report,' the : communique adds. "The Japanese claims of the damage inflicted on our naval forces are fantastic. Our losses compared with their own are relatively light. The only reason they are not yet published is because they would reveal valuable information to the enemy." A Washington message reports that the United States Navy Department issued the following statement:—"Recent enemy announcements have made sweeping claims regarding United States losses in the battle of the Coral Sea. Reports received by the Navy Department to date fail to substantiate the loss of any United States aircraft carrier or battleship in that action. Reports of damage to our forces are incomplete. They will be announced when the information will be without value to the enemy." The Japanese have been claiming the sinking of two American aircraft carriers, an American battleship, and a British cruiser. It is emphasised in Washington that no credence should be given to the Japanese claims. A London message states that a Japanese communique claims the sinking in the Coral Sea of a battleship, of the California type and also claims that a cruiser of the Canberra type was crippled and that a battleship of the Warspite type was heavily damaged. The British Admiralty states that there is no truth whatever in the Japanese claim tlfet the Warspite or any other British battleship was damaged.

CHINESE GUERRILLAS ATTACKS ON CANTCN CHUNGKING, May 9. Chinese guerrillas carried out a series of attacks inside Canton, killing 500 Japanese troops in street fighting and blowing up many buildings. The Central News .Agency said that the Japanese, enraged by the guerrillas are making reprisals in German style against Chinese civilians. In Canton they rounded up 100 men and women and paraded them through the streets in trucks and then executed them en massp.