Salt Lake Telegram | 1942-02-25 | Page 1 | Knox Reports U-Boat Score since January

NO REP REPORTS aR S SU U BOAT U-BOAT SCORE SINCE JANUARY u U. U S. S Sank Three Damaged Four In Atlantic Area WASHINGTON Feb 25 INS Secretary INS Secretary of the Navy Knox Wednesday disclosed that merchant vessels of the United Nations have been attacked attacked attacked at at- tacked in Atlantic waters since January The secretary said that three axis submarines in the same area had been sunk four damaged and 56 a attacked in m the same general area Knox issued a at athis athis athis his press conference summarizing losses inflicted upon the enemy as aswell aswell well as American and allied ship ship- I ping Knox reported in recapitulating losses sustained by the Japanese that 15 combatant ships were sunk three believed sunk and two damaged dam dam- aged Thirty-eight Thirty noncombatant Japanese vessels have been sunk four believed sunk and three damaged dam dam- aged Japs Lost 53 Ships The secretary of the navy explained explained explained ex ex- that in all Japans Japan's naval losses totaled 53 ships sunk seven believed sunk and five e da damaged g I In lit accordance with wilh its previous announced policy the navy navy- does not indulge in the practice of overstating overstating overstating over over- stating the losses that we inflict upon the enemy or of understating ing the losses inflicted upon us The navy will report only such facts as can be substantiated the said Thus the tabulation of vessels damaged does not include many enemy ships thought to have been damaged lack of conclusive evidence evidence evidence evi evi- dence precluding specific announcements announcements announcements an an- in these instances Submarines known to be sunk include only those sunk during the heroic defense of Wake island and during the recent raid on the Marshall Marshall Marshall Mar Mar- shall and Gilbert islands In accordance accordance accordance ac ac- ac- ac with the established navy department policy submarine sink sink- ings are never announced until it itis itis itis is reasonably certain that the enemy has become cognizant of their loss Explains Time Tim Lag This explains the time lag in connection with various reports There is evidence however of further further further fur fur- ther of enemy submarines in Pacific waters but their announcement announcement announcement an an- will not be made public public pub pub- lic He un until full fuU reports have been made to the navy department and absolute surety is determined Prior to the vicious attack made on the united nations by the Japanese empire on December 7 7 1911 1941 the pride of the Japanese merchant marine consisted of three ton luxury ships of the Ya- Ya wata class One of these ships is known to have been converted to serve as an aircraft carrier The United States naval forces have sunk suni one merchantman of the a and one aH aircraft raft carrier of oCHie the same same class l I only one such vessel known to bein be bein bem in m service with the enemy