CORAL SEA BATTLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 119, 23 May 1942, Page 5

CORAL SEA BATTLE

JAPANESE VERSION ATTEMPT TO ELICIT INFORMATION New York, May 21 Tokio official radio to-day, in an apparent attempt to elicit information, broadcast a further purported detailed report of the Coral Sea battle. The radio said: “The battle was fought on two days, May 7 and 8. The battle on May 7 was similar to that off Malaya. Powerful Brilish and American fleets were lured into the norfhern part of the Coral Sea by a feint carried out by a small Japanese aircraft carrier. Our forces speedily trapped the enemy fleet in an effort to finish it in one fell swoop.” The spokesman then reiterated previous claims of losses inflicted, and said the battle was modern in every sense. Several hundred Japanese and enemy planes had violently stormed at each other, although the Japanese v.ere seriously outnumbered. “We sank two powerful aircraft carriers with all the planes on board, and shot down additional aircraft four times the number of those destroyed with the carriers, proving that the Japanese fighting strength in the air is superior to that of the enemy,” the spokesman continued. “What surprised us was the desperate retreat of the enemy.” The spokesman then gave a dissertation on American secrecy in an obvious attempt to elicit information. He proceeded: “The Coral Sea has become our patrol zone. This should make it clear who was victorious.”