Evening star., 1942-11-28
13 Jap Ships Sunk
Or Hit in AIeutians,
Lovette Reveals
Fifty Enemy Planes
Shot Down in Area
Thot Become Rat Trop'

Americans defending the Aleutian
Islands have sunk at least nine
japanese destroyers. have damaged
four cruisers and have shot at least
so planes out of the sky, Capt
Leland P. Lovette. chief of Navy's
Public Relations Bureau, told ap-
proximately 1000 listeners at an
illustrated lecture at Constitution
Hall last night.
Speaking under the auspices of
the National Geographic Society
Capt. Lovette summarized for the
first time the full list of japanese
casualties in the Aleutian area
which he described as a rat trar
for the enemy"
U. S. Losses "Negligible.-
He said American losses since the
June 3 attack on Dutch Harbor have
been negligible"
Capt. Lovette's summary of enemy
losses included the following:
Nine destroyers sunk.
Nine destroyers damaged.
Four cruisers damaged.
One additional light cruiser or
destroyer sunk.
Two mlne-sWeepers sunk.
One transport sunk.
One large cargo vessel sunk.
Eighteen transports and cargo
vessels damaged.
Five submarines damaged,
Fifty planes shot down.
Japanese killed or wounded on
the ground, $50.
The $50 personnel figure is exclu-
sive of officers and crews aboard
ships and aircraft destroyed or dam
aged, Capt. Lovette said.
IL Aircraft Lost.
He said the United States has lost
less than IL aircraft in Aleutiar
operations and since the Dutch Har-
Dor attack on June losses in Amer
lean personnel have been "negligi-
ble.' He cited previously published
hgure OF 45 Americans killed and 4s
wounded in the enemy assault on
the harbor.
He also revealed the little known
fact that Navy fatalities among
wounded in this war have been
hammered down to slightly more
than l per cent" as compared to the
figure of 7 per cent for World War I
This is due" he said, ito the ad-
ministration of sulfa drugs and blood
plasma at the scene of action"
Speaking of American operations
on two of the Nays seven fronts.
he observed:
The Navy knew what was coming
in the South Pacific and wisely felt
1t couldn't spare the ships for full
operations at both the Solomons and
the Aleutians.
Finest RAT Traps"
THE Aleutians comprise the finest
rat traps ever devised for any
enemy We have carried on dozens
of successful raids on the enemy
with very little loss to ourselves.
I'm the South Pacific we have pre-
vented the enemy from establishing
strong base in the Solomons from
which to cut our vital supply lines
and we have helped save Australia
from invasion"
The lecture provided the audience
with a vivid picture OF action ir
the Pacific, high lighted by exclu-
sive motion pictures of a Japanese
attack on an American carrier ir
the preliminary stages of the battle
for the Solomon Islands.
The pictures showed how japanese
bombs tore huge holes in the sterr
of the carriers flight deck and how
members of the crew battled to put
out the flames as the bombing as.
sault ragged about them.
Commenting on the incident de.
picted in the film, naval spokes.
man said:
1--WE can't divulge the name sol
that carrier, but we can assure yol
that she is still af1oat"
Show Task Force Raid.
motiou pletulc tOpiCS lIlCIuutI
scenes of the carrier Wasp trans
porting Royal Air Force planes tt
the relief of Malta, the raid on tn,
Gilbert and Marshall Islands and {
task force moving up for the attacI
on Wotje Island in this group, the
sinking of the Lexington at thu
battle Of the Coral Sea, Jap cruiser.
and destroyers burning from direcr
hits at Midway, pictures of York.
town survivors. a burial at sea; ane
the early battles Of the Solomons
including shots of Japanese deas
and Japanese prisoners.
The motion pictures reproduced