Evening star., 1942-02-25
Subs Have Fired
On 114Shipsin
West Atlantic
Navy Accounts for
s. Jap Vessels
Since Jonuory1
By CLAUDE A. MAHONEY.

F1ICy-SX dCCdckS nave Deen
made on enemy submarines in
the West Atlantic since January
/, resulting in the certain sinking
of three U-boats and Gripping OF
four others, Secretary of the
Navy Knox disclosed late today.
= simultaneously he told a press
conference that ia merchant ships
of United Nations registry had been
attacked during the January-Feb-
ruary period.
In a recapitulation of losses in
f1icted on the Japanese in the Pa
cific, Mr.. Knox reported that Is
combatant vessels had been sunk,
three others were believed to have
been sunk, and two, including
battleship of the Kongo class, were
thought to have been damaged.
So japanese Ships Sunk.
Non-combatant vessels sunk by
American naval action were put at
SO. with four more believed sunk
and three damaged, giving an over
all total of japanese losses of So
sunk, seven believed sunk, and five
damaged.
The results of activities In the
Atlantic area were contained in
brief two paragraphs at the end of
naval communique No As. In de-
scribing the attacks by the United
States Navy on the enemy undersea
raiders, the secretary said no sink
ings were reported unless the Navy
was sure that the vessels had been
sunk.
The description of activities in the
Atlantic area as given by the Navy
follows:
During January, 1912, 70 ships Of
the United Nations registry had
torpedoes fired at them in waters
contiguous to the United States. In
addition, 80 other ships were at
tackled in the area west of 80 de-
grees west longitude. One enemy
submarine is believed to have been
sunk, three are believed to have been
damaged and "a additional attacks
were inconclusive in evidence of
damage.
I'm February, up to and including
the 23d instant, % ships of the
United Nations have been attacked
by enemy submarines in United
States coastal waters and SO addi-
tional ships in the area west of 80
degrees west longitude. Two enemy
submarines are believed to have been
sunk and one damaged in these
areas. In addition, Is attacks have
been made on enemy submarines by
our forces with inconclusive results" )"
Doesn't Include IA Earlier.
Secretary Knox made it plain that
this recapitulation of submarines
did not include the IA he said on
December 81 had been sunk in the
Atlantic.
In discussing the Far Eastern bat
tie activities, Secretary Knox listed
the sinkings by types as follows:
Battleships: One of Kongo class
damaged
Aircraft carriers: One sunk. one
believed sunk
Cruisers: Two sunk.
Destroyers: Seven sunk, one be-
lieved sunk.
Submarines: Three sunk. one dam
aged.
Seaplane tenders: One believed
sunk
Mine sweepers: One sunk.
Gun boats: One sunk.
Fleet tankers: Three sunk.
Transports: Thirteen sunk, two be-
lieved sunk.
Supply ships and merchantmen:
Sixteen sunk.
Miscellaneous type unidentified
Six sunk, two believed sunk, three
damaged.
Secretary Knox was asked If he
did not think the American forces
in the Far East we're doing very
we'll with the supplies and equip
ment they had and he gave this en-
phatic answer:
I'D say that as Americans we
ought to be darned proud of our
boys over there. L know I am
Secretary Knox said that Ad-
miral Husband E. Kimmel, who had
asked for retirement following his
relief from command in the Pacific,
soon would be in the news again,
but that the Navy was not quite
ready to make an announcement
about him yet.