Evening star., 1942-11-18
Toxic Communique
Reports Greatest
Losses of War
By the Associated Press,

os tAic hsSOCldLeQ FTeSS.
NEW YORK, Nov. 18.-Japan
announced today that one of her
battleships was sunk in the lat
est battle of the Solomons.
That loss, which the United
States Navy previously had an
nounced and which Imperial
Headquarters in Toxic thus could
conceal no longer, and Japan's
acknowledgment of the United
States report that a second bat
tleship was damaged attested to
the magnitude of the American
triumph.
The destroyed battleship, whose
name and class the japanese with
held, was the first the enemy has
announced as sunk in the war.
The announcement appeared in a
communique, broadcast by the Toxic
radio, which went further than any
before in admitting japanese naval
losses.
Try to Soften Picture.
These, however, still were less
than have been announced by the
United States and the communique
also tried to soften the picture OF
Japan's reverse in the vital struggle
for the Solomons bases by claiming
to have struck even heavier blows to
the American squadrons than the
United States Navy has announced.
Imperial headquarters also listed a
Japanese cruiser and three destroy
ers sunk and seven transports
damaged.
Against this total of 13 vessels
sunk or damaged-compared with
the United States Navy's prelimi-
nary announcement that the total
was 80 vessels sunk or damaged-the
Japanese claimed the casualties in
flicted by them totaled 13 or IA YES
sells sunk and II or II damaged.
Against the latter figure stands our
announcement of the loss of two
light cruisers and six destroyers,
with one night engagement yet to be
reported.
The japanese also announced the
loss of Al planes, but claimed to
have shot down or otherwise de-
stroyed IA or more rival aircraft.
Imperial headquarters issued its
version of what was called the third
Solomons naval battle after the
Toxic radio, abetted by the German
and Italian radios, had trumpeted
in advance to the world that "an-
other bombshell announcement"
was forthcoming.
Bombshell Element Lacking.
In comparison with previous
Japanese versions of other naval
engagements in the Pacific war,
however, the bombshell element was
lacking for any one but the Axis,
since the real surprise was the
japanese admission to have lost a
battleship.
No names were given, but the
United States Navy earlier this
week said the spearhead of the
Japanese invasion force which at
tempted to batter its way to the
shores of Guadalcanal was COM
posed of two battleships of the
Kongo class and presumably it was
one of these two which was sunk.
Information is incomplete, but
Japan is believed to have had at
least 10 battleships when she
launched the war in the Pacific
with perhaps five others under con-
struction or newly completed.
The Kongo class is believed to
have consisted at the outset of the
war of four vessels, of 10000 tons, the
Kongo, the Hiei. the Kirisima and
the Haruna. The Army announced
in the early days of the war that an
Army bomber flown by Capt. Colin
Kelly sank the Haruna, but it was
only two days ago that the Navy
made it's first official claim to the
sinking of a Japanese battleship.
All the Kongo class are old ships,
being laid down in 1912 or 1913, but
at least two are known to have been
modernized.
Jap Claims Listed.
The japanese claimed that their
forces sank eight cruisers and four
or five destroyers and heavily dam
aged two battleships, three cruisers
and three or four destroyers in the
battle from November IL to No
vember Ia.
They also said they sank one
transport and heavily damaged
three transports.
This contrasts with the United
States Navy's announcement Mon
day, which said the japanese losses
we're:
One battleship sunk, three heavy
cruisers sunk, two light cruisers
(See PACIFIC, Page A-5.)