NOW FIFTH RATE POWER

Southland Times, Issue 25513, 6 November 1944, Page 5

NOW FIFTH RATE POWER

Japanese Recent Naval Losses

(Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 4. Japan has been reduced to a fifthrate naval power by the recent battles off Formosa and the Philippines, said Vice-Admiral Mitscher, addressing a Press conference at San Diego, California, on his return to the mainland today. Admiral Mitscher, who is commander of Task Force 58, also declared that Japanese naval aviation was practically eliminated. Nevertheless, despite the land, air and sea victories the war would slow down instead of speeding up because of the supply problem. Statistics of Task Force .58 released for the first time credited the carrier group with destroying 4425 Japanese planes and sinking or damaging 795 naval and merchant ships between January 29 and October 27. Of the 4425 planes destroyed 2568 were shot down and 1857 destroyed on the ground. Admiral Mitscher added, “These are conservative figures as the planes detroyed on the ground are not counted unless they burn.” Of the ships sunk or damaged 202 were warships and 593 merchantmen. Eighty-eight of the warships were sunk, and 25 probably sunk and 89 damaged. Admiral Mitscher conservatively estimated that the total of merchant tonnage accounted for was 1,425,000 tons. At least seven Japanese carriers were sunk in the recent widescale engagement. All they have left is a few battleships, a couple, of major carriers and some baby carriers. Despite Japanese extravagant claims of great damage to the American fleet, particularly in the engagement off Formosa, Admiral Mitscher declared that not one American carrier was hitthere. Admiral Mitscher described the Formosa battle as the toughest of the war and the toughest he had ever experienced. He added, “They made it a bit difficult for a while. The American flyers held an eight to one edge over the Japanese in combat, while Japanese losses exceeded ours by four to one.”