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Show JAPS HIT HARD BY YANK FLEET Suffer Greatest Losses in Naval History and Lose j Control of China Sea. i WITH U. S. FLEET IN PACIFIC. In five months Admiral Halsey's fleet has inflicted greater destruction upon the Japanese than any other fleet in history has caused to an enemy. "We began sealing the tomb which the Japanese have created for themselves in their ill gotten, treacherously obtained empire," Halsey said in a press conference summarizing his fleet's accomplishments accomplish-ments in the last five months. The fleet, Halsey said, materially aided reconquest of the Philippines. The admiral paid tribute to General MaArthur and the Filipinos. And he gave part of the credit for Japan's desperate plight to the Jap commanders themselves "the silly fools." Lose China Sea. "We started operations five months ago below the fifth latitude and ended up around the 25th. We moved west from longitude 135 to longitude 110," he related. "We have prevented excessive damage to General Gen-eral MacArthur's forces by destroying destroy-ing air power which might have been available for reinforcements in the Philippines. "The Japanese have lost control of the South China sea. Forces of the Pacific fleet can go into it any time they want to." The Third fleet sank 89 enemy warships with an estimated 241,000 tonnage and 563 merchant and support sup-port ships estimated at 776,000 tons. A total of 4,370 enemy aircraft were destroyed, of which 1,904 were shot down in aerial combat and 2,466 burned and destroyed on the ground. Numerous enemy naval bases, military mili-tary installations, and industrial areas were bomled, strafed and rocketed. 'Only a Forerunner.' Carrier forces in the 12 weeks they have been under command of Vice Admiral McCain, sank or damaged 1,161,000 tons of Japanese shipping and 2,945 enemy aircraft. McCain said, "This is only a forerunner." The greatest losses to the enemy fleet occurred October 24 to 26 in the second battle of the Philippine sea, the highlight of which was the sinking of the Japanese battleship Musashi. "The Japanese navy is still licking lick-ing its wounds from the October beating," Halsey said. "The enemy fleet will make some sort of recovery re-covery in time." Halsev told the Associated Press that it was not in his province to suggest why the Japanese resistance resist-ance on Luzon has not been greater, great-er, but commented: "The silly fools spent all their effort on Leyte, and they have not been able to bring in reinforcements." In five months, sailing with the fleet aboard his flagship, Halsey has traveled 51,650 miles, the equivalent of two trips around the world. |