The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-05-08
SeaWar
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that the United States great
Pacific squadron had set out to
challenge the japanese fleet.
BY the Japanese description,
it was also the greatest Naval
engagement in all American his
tory.
The running battle apparently
started Monday off the Solo
mon Islands and swept west
ward TO the Coral Sea, flaming
across hundreds of miles of the
South Pacific.
First reports indicated il far
exceeded in scope and import
ance the great battle of the Java
Sea, two months ago, in which
japanese successes paved the
way for the conquest of Java.
All Australia waited tensely
for news TO be flashed on the
outcome, realizing thai the fate
of the commonwealth may hinge
on allied victory or defeat.
Australia's Prime Minister
John Curtin declared gravely
that the action was of crucial
Importance to the whole con-
duct of the war in the far Pacific
zone commanded by Gen. Doug
las Macarthur.
Nobody can tell what the re-
suit of the engagement will be
at this moment" Curtin said,
and left a clear implication that
an Allied defeat might we'll lead
to a japanese invasion of Aus
tralis.
United nations communicates
declared a Japanese aircraft
carrier, a heavy cruiser, a light
cruiser, two destroyers, four
gunboats, transport and a sup
ply ship were sunk.
Another japanese aircraft car
rier was described as so badly
hit that she was total loss, and
heavy damage was inflicted on
heavy cruiser, light cruiser,
a 9,000-ton seaplane tender and
a cargo ship.
These figures included Japa-
nese losses announced late yes
terday in a Washington COM
munique covering the opening
phases of the battle Monday off
the Solomon Islands, in which
United States forces sank eight
Japanese ships with the loss Of
but three planes.
A Tokyo communique said
the five united nations warships
were sunk or damaged May 6,
2 and today.
SPECTACULAR BLOWS
Gen. MacArthur's headquart-
ers, reporting spectacular Amer
lean successes in the second
phase of the battle, presumably
after it reached the Coral Sea
yesterday, announced:
Heavy Naval and air fight
ing continues.
Our own losses are not re-
ported"
In the latest stages, Allied
warships were officially credit
ed with sinking a japanese air
craft carrier and a heavy crui-
ser and badly damaging another
aircraft carrier and a heavy
cruiser.
While the Allies appeared to
have won a decisive edge so far,
the japanese Navy office claim
ed its Navy had scored brill
ant achievements in the Coral
Sea east of Australia on an
Anglo American combined
fleet"
Attacking them May 7, they
instantly sank a United States
bait. eship of the California type
and seriously crippled Brit
iSh "A class cruiser Of the Can
berra type and heavily damaged
a British battleship Of the War
spite type" the communique
said.
The attack Is still being con-
tinued."
Tokyo made no mention Of
the earlier action off the Solo
mon Islands.
This battle will not decide
the war" Prime Minister Cur
tin said. But, he added, 1T will
determine immediate tactics
which will be pursued by our
selves and the common enemy.
Invasion is a menace capa-
bic hourly Of becoming an ac-
tuality."