Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-15
Appraisal Of Victors


THE great Coral Sea navaair battle early in May has
o. i been made matter of cold and complete
appraisal and our original impression of decisive Japa-
defeat is confirmed ..r .
The American navy lost total of three surface craft
including the aircraft carrier LeXngtona serious and
grievous loss.
In addition there was considerable loss of American
aircraft and corresponding loss of American lives, al
though the factor of fatalities mnimized by the
remarkable of more than 30 per cent OF the Lex
ington's crew
there is known total of Is Japanese vessels sunk,
including least aircraft carrier Of late type and
more than 20 heavily damaged
Nd the total destruction of Japanese aircraft exceeded
"A our own losses in that respect and the human
aes among the japanese proportionatey greater
than ours
Thus on the basis of strict of losses alone,
the result must be accounted a conclusive victory.
But are able to measure the victory by other
1t was primarily victory because the obvious obec-
tive of the huge Japanese force involved the gaining
of invasion foothold in Australia and it turned
back from this objective and at least temporarily and
possibly permanently stopped from renewal of the effort
That is always the ruling test of military victory
defeat If offensive force gains objective the price
paid for it may well be secondary to that fact And
defensive force repes the enemy from object the price
paid for that result may also be secondary
d UT since the American defense in the Coral Sea
ID completely successful in the of repusing the
enemy from his objective and in addition was accom-
plished with losses less than those of the enemy in all
categores of ships planes and men, must be accounted
double victory.
1t is of course a shock to the American people to
learn of the loss of fine ship the Lexington and
greater shock to face the bitter fact of casual
ties which, however much those of the enemy exceeded
them, too many.
But we cannot expect to conduct this grim war or
to accomplish victories without losses and must
steel ourselves the inevitable cost of the and the
unavoidable price of victory
THE important thing disclosed by the battle of the
Coral Sea- apart from the ndsputable victory itself
is that American and equipment WIN in that
type of war;
1t is entirely type of sea warfare The battle
exclusively between aircraft between aircraft and
were never in gun range of each other.
That is the way this is being largely fought, and
will be certainly won.
1t is the way the subsequent battle of Midway Island
was fought and won
~ ONTROL of the air, either through predomnating
- aviation equipment the most proficient of it
and probably through combination of both factors, is
the condition of victory.
Americans in the Coral Sea with superior avia-
ton, and they at Midway with the weapon
This fashions the pattern of our future course and
duty Our future battles and victories in progress
NOW. They being fought TO-DAY in arplane fac
tories, shipyards and munitions factories.
AS Gen. Jimmy Doolittle said his return from
Toxic there is mystery about our Shanghai. 1t is
industrial production lines and the volume of
production will determine both the length and the out
of this war and the total of losses and casual
ties necessary for victory WELL