PACIFIC WAR
U.S. And Japanese Losses Tough Period Ahead By Telegraph—N.Z Press Assn.—Copynghi (Rec. 7.30) NEW YORK, Dec. 2. American intelligence officers estimate that since Pearl Harbour, the Japanese have lost 250,000 killed or permanently injured, of whom approximately 37,000 are naval personnel. This was disclosed in a speech today by Colonel Frank Knox (Secretary of the Navy) who added that United States casualties were 50,000 killed and missing, including 30.000 in the Philippines. American naval losses represented about 1 per cent of the personnel, and the estimated comparative losses in ships and planes were equally encouraging. “We have a larger and more powerful navy, measured In tonnage, airpower or anything else than the day before Pearl Harbour or after it.”
Colonel Knox acknowledged that America, in her war effort, had displayed timidity* hesitancy, inefficiency, confusion, waste and all the other things critics say. but she also converted the greatest peaceful plant into the greatest arsenal in history. She had maintained four freedoms and solvency at home, had equipped armies in the South Pacific, Britain and Africa, and operated the navy on all seas.
Colonel Knox added: “We might as well face the hard fact that a tough period is directly ahead in the Atlantic.
where the African operations have tremendously increased the Navy’s task. We have made a good start in Africa, but we may have to pay a price in losses from submarine attacks in the next four months. We know that the Axis have a large and growing si - marine fleet in the Atlantic, and, more, training in the Baltic, are coming up.”
Colonel Knox added: “If we have been ankle deep in the war in 1942. we shall be in it up to the neck in 1943, and until we are in this thing up to the n®ck. we cannot hope te °nd it.”
The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that American submarines have now sunk or damaged 148 Japanese ships, inclur’"’-g 43,000 tons of merchant shipping
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Bibliographic details
Timaru Herald, Volume CLII, Issue 22446, 4 December 1942, Page 5
Word Count
334PACIFIC WAR Timaru Herald, Volume CLII, Issue 22446, 4 December 1942, Page 5
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