The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-04-13

Bengal counted at most cruis-
er force and a pair of aircraft
carriers with supporting craft.
MAY JOIN BATTLE
Whether the British fleet
would take up the challenge to
the full was not at once appar-
ent, although last week when
the japanese strength there was
mot SO fully pictured, it was re-
ported mat nIs maJeStys war
ships were seeking the Japanese
for battle.
The British naval situation is
one OF thinly spread forces in
the Atlantic, Mediterranean and
other waters where they have
thousands of miles of lifeline
communications to guard.
The official statement in Lon
don said that the japanese bat
tleships in the Bay of Bengal in
Guided one of the modernized
nagato type mounting l6-inch
guns. The aircraft carriers have
been reported TO include at
least one of the newer $4,000
ton vessels capable of carrying
so planes.
The disclosure of the Japa-
nese strength came in a state
ment on the British loss last
week of two heavy cruisers, the
DorsetShire and Cornwall. and
the small aircraft carrier HermeS
first blood of the naval con-
flict in the Bay Of Bengal.
Reporting to Commons on the
loss of the aircraft carrier Her
mes and the cruisers Dorset
shire and Cornwall, whose sink
ing by Japanese bombers in the
Bay Of Bengal was announced
last week, the premier said the
japanese battleships there in
Guided at least one Of the mod
ernized, 16-inCh gun Nagato type
Of 80, 100 tons.
ACK AIR SUPPORT
MANY scores of British ships
are at sea every day without air
protection, he went on, adding
that unless these risks are tax
en- there is no means of carrying
on the immense business of con-
voy and sea war which falls up
on the Royal Navy"
Turning to the Malayan cam
paign, the spokesman disclosed
that a full repo now has been
received from Major General
Henry Gordon Bennett, COM
mander Of the participating
Australian forces, but said it
was not suitable for publication,
The government is not salts
fled with the final facts assem-
blcd on the Malayan campaign,
he declared, but is continuing TO
gather more data from whatever
authoritative sources become
available.
In announcing the size OF the
Japanese naval unit operating
in the Bay of Gengal, he said:
HEAVY UNITS
"On April 4 Superior Japa-
neSe naval forces which entered
the Indian Ocean were observed
steering toward Ccylon. These
forces comprised at least three
battlCshipS, including one mod
Crnizcd l6-inch Nagato type, and
five aircraft carriers, together
with a number of heavy and
Light cruisers and destroyer flo
tillas.
Several air attacks were de-
livcrcd on the HarborS OF Co
lOmbO and TrinComalcC (CCy-
lonl. ~ announced, the attack
Ing aircraft suffered heavy
losses At both places from British
fighter protection and from anti
batteries,
"WC also suffered TO 4 lesser
but seriously, i'm aircraft
and damage was done to shore
establishments and a few ships
that remained in the HarborS."
Besides these losses, two
eight inch gun cruisers - the
DorSCtShirc and Cornwall-aud
Inc aircraft carrier HCrmCs.
which had left the harbor before
Inc attack, were sunk al sea by
enemy aircraft.
ABLE COMMANDER
The naval operations were
Under command of Admiral Sir .
James Somervillc. an officer
who for the past two years has
been engaged in the western
Mediterranean and has almost