Show Navy avy Battles Jap Fleet Off Midway y t Island Fi Fight ight K to Fi Finish n ish Loo Looms For Strategic Base I. I t Initial Attack Repulsed 6 Defenders Take Heavy Plane To Toll From Nips Damage Carrier An And Battleship in in Opening Clash HONOLULU June 5 UP American JP American defenders spurred spurted by initial successes closed battle Friday with a strong Japanese j I l sea-air sea task force in what may be a finish fight for possession of Midway island Already the island garrison had scored hits on an enemy battleship an aircraft carrier and possibly other war vessels Raiding planes were brought down in great number And said Admiral Chester W W. Nimitz in commander-in-chief I of the Pacific fleet our attacks on the enemy are continuing This latest assault on the tiny island outpost last line of defense before Hawaii itself began shortly after dawn Thursday It found the American forces keyed to fighting pitch by long preparation and patently strengthened in the months since they first repulsed ed such an attack December 7 It found them alert and forewarned by the preceding days day's raid upon Dutch Harbor Alaska It seemed the enemy nemy may have stepped unwittingly into a spot too hot to handle Ja Japs s Appear Determined to Capture Midway i. r But it also it also appeared strongly possible the Japanese did not i intend intend fd th this this as a run hit affair ai like i tl their e five preceding l e ing a T N forays against Mi Midway way way- Presence of capital ships in the attacking force and th the heavy toll the defenders rs were we're able to to exact in m n the first few hours of the operation suggested the enemy was at hand with the sole purpose of taking over oyer the he island completely and finally And Midway with the tradition of Wake island as its guide was obviously in inno no mind to let the issue go by default I Admiral Nimitz que indicated the Americans' Americans first success was achieved at little cost to themselves He reported that damage to materiel and installations on the island 1149 miles of Hawaii was minor No reports of personnel casual casualties tics were received the com com- mu que added lidded Reports All Armed Services Represented Nor did the admiral clarify which units of the United States defenders delivered the telling blows against the Jap battleship arid arld carrier The attack was repulsed by local defenders in which all armed services are represented he said indicating that marine sea and air forces were in action The admirals admiral's told this terse story At a. a m m. today Thursday Midway time that island was heavily raided by Japanese carried-based carried planes The attack was repulsed by local defenders in which all armed services are Continued d On Pale Pace Four Column elum One t. t t x Y 4 A MY I w t J 1 Sti i ti a i J t 6 Tf I h 1 17 Y y y JJ l f. f a F J 1 p t t t I Ji j Li n 1 q YrA it ADMIRAL Commander in chief in Pacific a 1 0 1 NAVY VY BATTLES r NIPPON FLEET I 1 I Iran Bran P Par page r On One represented A heavy toll of ot at attacking ate at- tacking planes was taken taken- Damage Damage Damage Dam Dam- 1 age to material and Installations r on Midway were rep reported minori minor i No reports of ot personnel casualties f were received The e Japanese carriers were accompanied act ac ac- ac- ac t companied by battleships and andr r cruisers One battleship and one I carrier definitely were damaged and other vessels are believed to tol toI l I e have been hit Our attacks on I the enemy are continuing Broadening the fast developing Pacific war the Midway raid followed followed fol tol- fol- fol lowed by a day two raids of ot Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese planes on Dutch Harbor Alaska The Midway attack was the first the Japs had aimed at that Island Wand since Admiral Nimitz flew r there then last month to decorate four naval and marine officers for tor their bravery in previous raids At that time he said the ground and air forces under Commander Cyril T. T Simard had demonstrated a commendable commendable com com- efficiency of ot tion lion Japans Japan's first and previously their heaviest attack was made ade adeby Deem Deem- by cruisers and destroyers De Decem December ember em- em ber bet 7 1 the same day of ot the sneak att attack ck on Pearl Harbor precipitating precipitating precipitating tating the war with the United States Shelling submarines and raiding planes carried on other attacks which reached five on March 10 the last one delivered prior to Thursdays Thursday's s heavy assault Marine corps aviators were decorated by Admiral Nimitz at 1 Midway for shooting down a four Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese patrol seaplane in the March 10 attack Midway Is the last United States outpost in the Pacific to the northwest northwest northwest north north- west of ot Hawaii Wake and Guam having fallen tallen to the Japanese |