Evening star., 1942-07-16

tlic III aI Vol IA $3$$$$$3$:33:3
War. ~
The analysts @<$*@
are still study David Lawrence.
ing the details and it may be months
before the full story can be pieced
together. The concluding para
graph of the official communique is
a model of frankness in war re-
porting by belligerent government.
It says:
THE Battle of Midway was
complex and widespread action in
volving a number of engagements
lasting more than three days and
nights. Even our active participants
in the numerous attacks and
counterattacks are unable to give
confidently an accurate account of
the damage inflicted in the many
individual and unified attacks of
our Army, Navy and Marine Corps
personnel"
The public, which has been ask
Ing why the delay occurred in an
nouncing the details Of the battle,
can we'll imagine from the fore
going how difficult it has been to
put together the scattered reports.
But there is in the wording Of the
ofiicial narrative enough to indicate
that here was an engagement in
which some things went wrong on
both sides and the element of luck
played no small part in some of the
exploits.
Our Strength Fooled Japs.
For one thing it is not clear why
the Japanese sent such a heavy
force, including three battleships,
to attack Midway. Did they believe
Midway itself had a strategic value
or were they hoping to occupy that
area for q while and draw American
naval forces from the Alaskan area
and from the South Pacific?
Whatever the japanese high COM
mand had in mind, it is clear that
the Japanese were badly informed
about the defending air forces In
and around Midway and that they
never had any idea we had air.
craft carriers In the vicinity.
Why was the Japanese recon-
naissance so poor? This question
might be countered somewhat by
the apparent error on our side in
failing to detect the change Of |
course Of the Japanese fieet after
the first days; engagement. But the
error on our part was relatively
small compared to the Japanese
error in not knowing what size force
was ready to meet them.
On our side failure to know that
the Japanese feet had changed Its
course cost us heavily in flyers and
planes. The communiques frankly
states that our torpedo planes went
into action without the protection OF
fighter planes. One thing is evi-
dent-our aviators didn't falter but
headed into the japanese fleet even
without protection.
The American people may not
realize from the modest wording Of
the communique what unexampled
bravery was exhibited by ou, flyers.
There have been reports about the
boldness and daring OF. the japanese
suicide squadrons. But the venture
someness of our aviators in the Bat
tie OF Midway is unparalleled by
the feat Of any other nations air
men In a major battle. The morale
of the American fighters must have
been very high, indeed, as the in
tensity Of the lighting disclosed.
Subs Had Important Role.
The airpower enthusiasts natu-
rally take satisfaction in what has
been done but they overlook the
fact that submarines on both sides
played havoc In the Battle of Mid
way. No mention is made in either
the Japanese claims or in our own
communique of the presence Of
heavy warsl1ips on the American
side of the battle.
1t would appear that airpower plus
submarines and destroyers consti-
tuted our defensive strength. II this
is so then it is even more regrettable
that our Navy has not been built UP
suficiently with cruisers and battle
ships to have been able to pursue
the stricken Japanese feet after the
airnen had wrecked or damaged so
MANY of the formations. Here was
a chance for battleships to come In
at the kill.
The fact that We apparently did
not have them handy does not per-
nit the conclusion to be drawn that
aircraft have proved themselves bet
ter than surface ships. II anything
the facts as revealed in the official
communique indicate convincingly
that the sea battles Of the future
will not be won by any one arm
alone but by q properly balanced
number Of surface ships, subma'
rines and aircraft carriers operating
In conjunction. wherever possible
with land-based planes.
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