Evening star., 1944-10-30
Jap Worship Toll
Is Raised to So
Sunk or Damaged
fTert OF contn,unioue and map
on Page A-5.)

BY the Associated Press.
PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUAR-
TIERS, Pearl Harbor, Oct. 3d.
The victorious American Navy
has launched new aerial attacks
against Manila, Tokyo reported
today, after sinking or damag-
ing So japanese warships in one
of history's greatest naval
triumphS.
The American Sd and 7th Fleets
definitely sank "a Japanese war
craft, including four aircraft car
riers and two battleships, in last
weeks naval action off the Philip
pines, Admiral Chester w. Nimitz
announced last night.
Thirteen more Japanese craft,
including a battleship, were dam
aged so badly they may have sunk,
and 81 other warcraft, including six
battleships. were damaged.
The total-at least 100000 tons
is more warcraft than Japan lost in
all the four preceding great Pacific
war sea battles combined.
Victory Cost Six Warships.
American forces spent six war
ships for victory by which, Ad-
miral Nimitz said, THE japanese
fleet has been decisively defeated
and routed" Dispatches from the
Philippines say, however. American
personnel casualties were "consid-
erable." In addition, the 10000 ton
Australian cruiser, Australia, was
damaged.
(The Tokyo radio today re-
ported, without Allied confirma-
ton, that 200 United States car
rier planes staged three raids on
Manila and Clark Airfield Satur-
day-just three days after heavy
fighting in the naval battle end
ed. Yesterday Japanese aircraft.
another Tokyo broadcast said, be-
gan attacking an American task
force, including four aircraft car
riers, in Lamon Bay, on the east
coast OF Luzon, opposite Manila)
Admiral Nimitz's 1,1o0-word COM
munique said that "amplifying re-
ports, although still subject to re-
vision as more information is re-
ceived. indicate an overwhelming
victory. The second battle of the
Philippine Sea ranks as one of the
major sea battles of World War II
in the Pacific"
Only Two Possibly Escaped.
The three related actions, thus
classified as the second battle of the
Philippine Sea, were fought south
OF Formosa, off the east coast of
Samar and in Surigao Strait off
Southeastern Leyte October %. "a
and Is. Aircraft and submarines
scored more successes in hunting
down survivors the next two days.
Possibly only two japanese ships
escaped undamaged from the
debacle. No modern nation has had
its fleet so nearly destroyed in one
engagement.
More ships were sunk or damaged
in the World War battle of Jutland,
but the losses were nearly equal.
The British lost IA ships, % dam
aged; the Germans, II sunk, %
damaged.
The Philippine battle involved
more than the 248 ships engaged at
Jutland, although exact figures can
not be given. This means that
American naval power alone totaled
approximately 200 warships, pos
sibly more.
Pearl HarbOr Victims in Action.
Among them, Admiral Nimitz an
nounced, were five battleships "seri-
ously damaged at Pearl Harbor"-
the West Virginia, Maryland, Ten
nessee, California and PENNSYLVANIA
and three new carriers named fol
Japanese-sunken predecessors-the
Lexington, Wasp and Hornet.
Japan has lost total of 40 war
ships sunk or damaged, including
10 carriers and battleships. in
these previous great Pacific engage
ments-Coral Sea, May Is, 1912;
Midway, June 6, 1912; Guadalcanal
November Is, 1912, and first Battle
Of the Philippine Sea, June 10, 1914
The Japanese loss in the second
Philippine Sea battle, between Octo-
ber 22 and 27:
Sunk-Four carriers, two battle
ships. six heavy cruisers, three
light cruisers, three small cruisers
or large destroyers, six destroyers.
Probably sunk - One battleship
three heavy cruisers, two light crui-
sers, seven destroyers.
Damaged = Six battleships, four
heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, 1C
destroyers.
Admiral Nimitz did not revise his
previously announced American
1ncCnc tho 1trI, T7,,;.