The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-09
Believed American Planes
Are Still Pursuing Grip
pied Enemy Fleet
RESOUNDTNG VICTORY
CLAIM OF AMERICANS
Savage Fighting Taking
Place on Other Fronts
British at II Again
BY EVERETT r. HOLES

BY EVERETT r. HOLES
Omitted Press staff Correspondent
United States forces may
take the offensive in the next
phase of the Midway Sea bat
tie in a determined effort to
turn the tide Of the war in
the Pacific, according to adj
vices from Pearl Harbor
today. The first eyewitness
account of the great battle
that began last Thursday
given by wounded naval ensign
from his hospital bed at Pearl Har-
Dor - revealed that the two Or
three Japanese aircraft carriers
included the best and biggest car
riers that Japan possessed.
With the score standing at IA to
10 Japanese ships sunk or damaged
against U. S. Losses Of one de-
stroyer sunk and an aircraft carrier
damaged, no word came today from
the far Pacific, but it was believed
that American planes were pursuing
the crippled enemy fleet westward
to the range of Japan's land-based
bombers.
Admiral Chester w. Nimitz, COM
mander of the Pacific fleet, said that
"there is nothing to report from the
central Pacific area" and 1t appeared
that he was awaiting definitive
reports from the scene before issu-
ing a new communique - one which
may boost the toll Of japanese war
ships.
Resembling Victory
Naval circles in Pearl Harbor be-
lieved that the U. S. forces, having
turned into a resounding victory
what began as a defense of the OUT
post of Midway Island, may initi-
ate the next clash unless the bat \
tered Japanese naval-air forces re-
fuse to come out for battle again.
Ensign George H. Gay, Is year old
flyer from Houston, Tex, whose
plane was shot down at sea during
the first phase of the battle last
Thursday after he had losed an
aerial torpedo at one of the enemy
carriers, said he saw three of the
Japanese carriers burst into flames
under the attack Of U. S. navy
planes.
He said he was certain that q
26,900-ton carrier OF the Kaga class
was destroyed, perhaps by his own
torpedo, and that he saw carrier
of the same class and a smaller
one In flames as he watched the
battle from q bullet-ridden rubber
lifeboat.
The Kaga and her lone sister ship
the Akagi are Japan's biggest and
Of launching go planes, and If both
best aircraft carriers, each capable
were sunk it was heavy blow to
Japanese sea power.
Gay also reported that he watched
Japanese cruiser pumping shells
into one of the burning carriers,
trying to sink her and all the men
aboard her, lest the vessel fall into
American hands.
Savage Fighting Elsewhere
Willie IIle WORTH WdlGSQ 4OI au1As
tional details of the Midway sea
battle savage fighting was underway
on the wars land frontS-iN Russia.
China and the Libyan desert.
Russian troops fought fierceiy
against strong German attacks,
supported by tanks and planes, on
the Kalinin front south of Lenin-
grad and 100 miles southwark in
the Crimea where the defenders OF
Sevastopol still resisted on the fifth
day of a determined German siege
by land, sea and air.
The German air force assaulted
Sevastopol in waves Of 30 or more,
trying to knock out the Black Sea
port and naval base for a cleanup
of Hitler's conquest of the Crimean
gateway to the Caucasus, but the
Russians said they not only threw
back all assaults but improved theiB
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