Evening star., 1942-05-09

Score Officially Announced.
With United States warships
and bombers hot on the heels of
the shell-marked japanese sea
force, this was the score already
announced officially:
Japanese ships sunk, 11-An air
craft carrier, a heavy cruiser. light
cruiser, two destroyerS, four gun
boats, and two cargo or transport
ships.
Japanese ships damaged, 6-An
aircraft carrier, heavy cruiser, a
light cruiser, a 9,000-ton seaplane
tender and two transport or supply
ships.
(The second aircraft carrier
may also have been sunk, on the
basis of unofficial reports.
(Reuters in a dispatch from
Sydney, Australia, said the Japa-
nese losses had risen to 18 ships
sunk and four damaged, includ-
ing the certain destruction OF two
aircraft carriers. one cruiser, six
or seven destroyers and other
vessels)
The only announced American
losses have been three planes.
Japs Claim SO Planes.
The japanese imperial headquar-
tiers claim which Gen. Macarthur
declared must be regarded in the
light Of propaganda" was boosted
in Toxic earlier today to seven ships
sunk or damaged and SO planes
shot down.
The japanese claimed they had
sunk a United States aircraft car
rier of the Yorktown type, United
States aircraft carrier of the Sara
toga type, a United States battle
ship of the California class, and a
destroyer. Toxic reported as dam
aged a British battleship of the
Warspite class "a claim denied fatty
Yesterday by the British Admiralty
an Australian cruiser of the Can
berra class, and one other cruiser.
The imperial command also made
It's first statement of its own losses,
reporting "small-siZed aircraft
carrier converted from a tanker
sunk and 81 planes lost.
Australian Tension Eased.
Gen. MacArthur's account OF the
first two phases of the fight eased
the tension which has held Aus
tralians virtually all week as the
fate OF their continent and perhaps
the future strategy of the Pacific
war hung in the balance,
The fact that the Japanese feet
had broken off the engagement, at
least temporarily, was taken as
clear evidence that Australias sea
ramparts, lntrusted in part u
American warships and American
planes, had been tested hard and
had held firm.
1t was obvious from the COM
muniques that the Australian man
In the street had been right in his
conviction that this was no isolated
task force skirmish but a major
operation.
The Australians regarded the fight
asa determined and bitterly pressed
fight by Allied planes and ships Il
blunt if not entirely smash tht
spearhead of the first major Japa
nese attempt since the conquest O
Malaya and the Netherlands Indiei
to resume the southwark drive.
Especially heartening were th'
communicates words that our at
tacks will continue"
The press and public echoed Prim'
Minister John Curtlns statemen
that this great battle which tempo
rarilv has ceased had TO be tough
as part Of the war TO save thl
theater from falling within Axl
control"
Aware of the fateful future, the
agreed. too, with his words that g
have no doubt other battles have ye
to be fought as a part OF a struggl
which must continue until tn
enemy is defeated or we are con
quered.'
elimination Of Preparations.
Gen. Macarthur emphasized !
his communique that the battle c
the Coral Sea actually was a cuI
mination-for the moment at least
of long and large-scale ofienSlS
preparations by the Japanese an
of clockwork aerial counterblows 3
the United Nations forces.
He said the japanese preparatlo
for resumption OF the southwar
tide Of conquest began with tn
massing Of troops, transports an
warships and attempts to strengthe
bases on New Britain and the So
omon Islands.
From them the Japanese planne
to start of their armada and 81,
1t land-based>air support.
Six weeks Of xelentIess poundir
BY Allied borhbers, however. disl'