Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-07
Knox Reveals Losses
To Both u. s, laps in
Pacific War Sparring
Insists No Major Clash
Has Developed Yet;
Sub Peril Stressed
BY the Associated Press.


American and Japanese naval
forces sparring in the Southwest
Pacific have each knocked out
some warships on the other side,
Secretary Knox said yesterday,
although no major clash has yet
developed.
Discussing the situation at a press
conference, the Navy Secretary first
said the losses were minor in
everything-surface and air" Then
he added that they might be called
moderate. if you want to change
the word but emphasized that they
included nothing significant -
nothing of a major character"
He did not amplify, but his state
ment seemed to mean neither side
has lost any large vessel, such as
an aircraft carrier or battleship, and
that japanese claims Of having sunk
two American battleships are pure
fabricatio
Jap Moves Not Clear
AS to whether a great air and
sea battle was developing, Mr.
Knox said he did not know 1t was
not yet clear, he said, what was the
japanese objective or how much of
their fleet they might risk. although
the preliminary moves had been of
a nature which Ordinarily would
precede an engagement of some
size"
Mr. Knox also told reporters:
l. The Germans now have more
submarines at sea than last June
the month of heaviest Allied losses
with large concentrations south of
| Iceland, on the route to Britain, and
in the mid Atlantic on the routes to
North Africa. The Navy is strain
ing every effort to produce suffi-
Cient anti-submarine vessels to COM
bat this menace on which Hitler
undoubtedly is counting heavily.
Although Mr.. Knox referred to last
June's ship losses in speaking of the
large number of NaZi U-boats now
operating, he did rot imply that cur
rent losses were at the same rate
In fact, he commented. as Secretary
OF War Stimson previously had said
/ losses on the North Atlantic route to
Russia had been reduced. He also
said that Brazil was making good
+ progress in combating submarine
activities off the South American
coast
2 He did not believe the japanese
had increased their strength in the
Aleutlans. This was in response tc
a question from reporter who re-
marked that recent Navy communi.
ques had reported considerable JAP
anese air activity in that area.
AIcutians Fighting Reported.
A communique read at the confer.
ence related that five enemy plane.
bombed American positions in thu
Aleutlans February 4, but inflicted
no damage That night a United
States force of Liberator heavy ant
Mitchell medium bombers. witt
tighter escort, bombed the Jap bast
at kiska and shot down three of five
enemy planes which engaged them
The japanese also lost another plan,
TO an American reconnaissance air.
craft.
Covering, also, actions by forces or
Guadalcanal in the Solomons, thu
communique said American patrol
had advanced mile and One-hal
beyond Tassafaronga. or about F.,
mile further than heretofore. Enem,
resistance was described as weak"
American bombers carried GU
raids on japanese bases at Munds
and Kolombangara in the New
Georgia Islands. and Flying For
tess, attacked by three Japanes'
planes, shot down one. beat of tn
others and returned to its base, al
though damaged. There were tU'
nuisance raids on American posi-
tons by lone japanese planes Wed
nesday night. Mr.. Knox said,