| Show Midway Victory Demonstrates Aerial Power Final Accounting Expected to Show Large Share of Toll Tollof of Jap Ships Was Taken by Army Navy Fliers By SANDOR S. S KLE KLEIN WASHINGTON June 9 UP The UP-The The battle of Midway which Tuesday appears to have subsided apparently was another demonstration demonstration demonstration dem dem- of the ability of heavy land-based land aircraft to repulse superior naval force On the basis of sketchy reports available it seems certain that when the final accounting Is made madea a large share of the toll of Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese ships in the great sea battle in the central Pacific will be credited credited credited cred cred- to army and naval fliers Even before Midway according to Lieutenant General Henry H. H Arnold U U. S. S army air forces alone destroyed 33 Japanese warships Those figures apparently included the battle of the Coral sea which Admiral Ernest J. J King er in of the U. U S. S fleet has described as a decisive setback for forthe forthe forthe the enemy Big army bombers played a major role in that battle which drove off an invasion fleet destined for Australia During the early months of the war experts said Japanese successes successes suc sue ceases were mainly a result of air superiority and possession of land bases from which huge bombers could operate The battle of ot the Coral sea these experts said provided the United States with its first chance to use heavy land-based land bombers In large numbers against a I. Japanese naval force forceS The battle of Midway which now seems to have been a sequel to the Coral sea engagement engagement engagement engage engage- ment provided an even greater opportunity for land-based land aircraft because of the proximity of ot the the bases in the Hawaiian islands in- in Mid eluding eluding way Heavy y Bombers Used Since it Is known that great distances were involved in the Midway battle it could be deduced that heavy land based bombers of the Boeing flying fortress or Consolidate Consolidated Consolidated Con Con- B 24 types were the army's major cont contribution to the American defense Those planes are capable of ot flying long distances they they were used in the recent American raid on the Philippines from Australia Australia and and carry tremendous tremendous dous bomb loads They can operate operate operate oper oper- ate in altitudes altitudes' beyond the effective effective effective tive combat range of ot Japans Japan's best plane piane the Zero fighter Admiral Chester W. W Nimitz who directed the defense of Midway already has emphasized the part played by aviation In stopping the great Japanese thrust eastward One of his first reported reported reported re re- re- re ported that the brunt of the defense defense defense de de- to date has fallen upon aviation aviation aviation avia avia- tion personnel In which the army navy and marine corps all aU were represented Size Not Mentioned There has hu been no specific mention mention mention men men- tion yet of ot the size or type of the American naval force that participated participated participated par par- In the battle Arnolds Arnold's figures on the number of Japanese warships sunk by army fliers before Midway were at variance with those compiled from official That compilation credited the army with sinking 10 warships and the navy with 34 34 Some army air officials sought to explain th that t discrepancy by saying that the navy may have inadvertently been credited with accomplished by army bombers operating in conjunction with naval forces Navy spokesmen spokesmen spokes spokes- men would not comment for the present But which ever branch of the armed services gets the most credit at Midway it is evident that their combined efforts dealt the Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese crushing blows Taken together together together to to- gether with their losses In previous actions It appears that the major portion of the striking force of the enemy's navy has been sunk or damaged during the last six months At the outbreak of the war the Japanese were known n to have 66 battleships cruisers and aircraft carriers Compilations based on onI Continued on Pan Page Three I Column Five Fin MIDWAY MID V A Y SHOWS PLANE POWER Continued from Page One official American show that 62 of those craft have been sunk probably sunk or damaged damaged damaged dam dam- aged by American armed forces It must be emphasized that the Japanese had other ships in these classes under construction and some of these may have been commissioned commissioned commissioned com com- since the war Also ships listed as damaged may have been repaired t tHere Here is a breakdown of the known prewar Japanese naval strength Battleships 12 cruisers cruisers cruisers cruis cruis- ers 46 although some unofficial estimates placed cruiser strength at 75 aircraft carriers 8 destroyers destroyers de de- de- de and submarines 71 Battle Box Score And here is a box score of what American armed forces have done to Japanese as of Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day with final reports from Midway Midway Midway Mid Mid- way still missing Dam Dam- Sunk Sunk aged Tot Battleships 1 5 6 carriers carriers carriers car car- 4 2 3 11 Cruisers 8 5 32 45 Destroyers 16 5 9 30 Submarines 7 2 9 Plane tenders 1 2 3 Gunboats 5 1 l' l 1 17 f 7 Minesweepers 1 1 I. j 2 Patrol boats 2 2 Submarine Submariner S chas chasers rs 1 J 1 Armed auxiliaries auxiliaries auxiliaries aries 2 2 2 Total warships warships warships war war- ships 47 1 15 55 x Aircraft carriers Sunk 4 or 5 probably sunk 2 damaged 3 or 4 total 9 or 1 11 ii NONCOMBATANT SHIPS Transports 32 32 5 28 65 65 Tankers lankers 13 13 IS Cargo and t. t supply 34 34 7 4 C 45 Miscellaneous 10 7 9 I 26 i T t I. I Total n noncombatant noncombatant non non- 0 n- n combatant 89 19 41 Grand total 34 34 96 96 The compilation lists more aircraft aircraft air air- craft craft- carriers earners as sunk probably sunk or damaged than the Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese were known to possess before December 7 It was possible that aside from new construction Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese carrier strength was in increased increased increased in- in creased through conversion of merchant ships 5 5 |
