MORE WARSHIPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25069, 10 November 1942, Page 3

MORE WARSHIPS

AMERICA’S NEED IN: PACIFIC

CALLS OF OTHER THEATRES (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent)

SYDNEY, Nov. 9.

“ Simple figures of the United States and Japanese war shipping losses are not a reliable guide relative to the naval strengths in the Pacific war.” This statement was made by the American news magazine Time, when discussing reports to date. “ The Japanese have lost a third of their known cruiser strength (probably under-estimated), almost a third of their destroyers, and six carriers—a total of 75 warships, against America’s 58 lost in the Pacific.

“The misconceptions are, unfortunately, usually on the side of United States preponderance,” adds Time, holding that America is still “ critically short of carriers, cruisers, and destroyers. The battleship losses in Pearl Harbour have been more than replaced, but the effectiveness of the dreadnoughts is limited by a shortage of covering forces.” Time adds: “ Japan realises that her margins of superiority are bound to be short-lived; therefore she must take early advantage of them. The loss of four carriers in the Coral Sea, at Midway, and in the Solomons reduced the known United States carrier strength to three, plus some converted merchantmen of limited combat value. Considering possible Atlantic requirements, the United States Pacific carrier strength may now be reduced to two or even one, giving Japan at least a two-to-one superiority. The launching of four of thirteen American carriers known to be under construction has been announced,' and some time in 1943 the numbers of United States carriers are likely to be increased at the rate of one a month.

“ Cruisers and destroyers are critical United States categories,” says Time. “In numbers America probably has superiority in destroyers, and is neai-ly even in cruiser strength. But the Atlantic fleet and the long convoy lines in the Pacific require an important proportion of the available total. The result is that the navy is hard put to it to find enough cruisers and destroyers for task force duty, screening carriers and battleships, and raiding enemy communications.” Time quotes the American military commentator, Mr Hansen Baldwin, as having made the statement that the Japanese battleship Haruna was probably not sunk, but says the comparison of the opposing battleship strengths is satisfactory. Time also pays tribute to the American submarines for accounting for over 75.000 tons of Japanese merchant and war shipping, forcing the enemy to provide warship convoys for their supply vessels. Only three United States submarines have been lost in action.