Evening star., 1942-05-11
n Nipponese Craft
Are Victims Since
SEQ Bottle Began
By the Associated Press.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,
Australia. May lin a sequel
to the great battle Of the Coral
Sea, Allied bombers dealt an
other blow to japanese naval
power yesterday by sinking or
damaging two enemy submarines
of Northeastern Australia, Gen.
MacArthur's headquarters an
nounced today.
The number of japanese vessels
officially reported knocked out of
action or badly crippled in this thea
ter in the past seven days thus was
raised to grand total of 81.
Competent observers said there
were good grounds to believe that
the Allied announcements of Japa-
nese losses so far had been conserv-
ative and there has been little men
tion of transports.
Transport Losses Seen.
Correspondents were informed to-
day. however, that the enemy force
included transports and that when
the full list of sinkings Is announced
1t might include Japanese transport
losses. Thus far communicates have
listed only two transports or supply
ships sunk and two damaged.
Today's communique made the
f1rst mention of japanese subma-
rines.
Although the Allied naval forces
predominantly United States-were
disengaged, airforces were on con-
slant patrol for enemy naval units
that might have become scattered
and eluded the Allied ships.
Whether the submarines were a
part OF the enemy fleet repulsed by
Allied forces last week in the Coral
Sea was not clear, but 1t was evident
that the Allied air force was con-
tinuously patrolling those waters
in search of scattered remnants of
the japanese armada.
Tender. Tanker Damaged.
First indication of this was given
yesterday in a communique an
nouncing that Allied planes had
damaged another japanese seaplane
tender and a tanker in the Coral
Sea.
That communique definitely de-
clared, however, that there had
been no further contact between
Japanese and Allied naval units
Saturday and no further mention of
naval action was made by Gen.
MacArthurs headquarters today in
reporting yesterdays developments.
Official quarters declined to elab-
crate on the situation, and it still
was uncertain whether the Coral
Sea action definitely had been
broken of or whether the opposing
fleets were maneuvering to resume
the battle which a Saturday COM
munique said had ceased tempo
FAIRLY"
The German-controlled Paris
radio broadcast report today
that powerful Japanese naval re-
Inducements had arrived in the
Coral Sea for the resumed
battle, but the report was not
confirmed by any other sourceD
Navy Announcement Awaited.
Although Gen. MacArthur's head
quarters has branded as fantastic"
japanese claims regarding Allied
losses in the battle, their actual
extent still was undisclosed and it
was generally expected here that any
announcement would come only
from Washington-when the Navy
Department believes the informa-
ton will no longer benefit the
Japanese
In addition to blasting the two
Japanese submarines yesterday,
Allied bombers were reported to
have attacked enemy seaplanes in
the Louisiade Islands off the south
eastern tip of New Guinea.
Bombs were dropped in the tar
get area" said the communique
announcing this attack, but gave
no further details.
A spokesman said the seaplanes
mentioned were operating from a
seaplane tender. Although there
have been several references in re-
cent communicates to attacks on
japanese shipping and transports
in the Louisiades there has been
no announcement of an enemy
landing there.
Five japanese seaplanes were re-
ported destroyed or badly dam
aged by the Allied bombers credited
with damaging the seaplane tender
and tanker Saturday.
Two other enemy planes-both
Zero fighters-Were destroyed wher
Allied fighters intercepted a light
attack yesterday on Port Moresby
Allied outpost on the southern
coast of New Guinea, headquarters
declared.
Prime Minister John Curtin con-
ferred yesterday with Gen. Mac
Arthur. presumably with reference
to the situation developing from tn,
Coral Sea battle.