Evening star., 1944-02-28
Revised Figures
Boost Jap Toll
To 80 Ships Sunk
q Destroyed at Truk;
RubuuI and Kuvieno
Loss Placed ut7
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Japanese shipping has suffered
new reverses in the South Pacific
and the United States Navy has
boosted its tabulation of enemy
ship losses in the raid on Truk
February 16 and II to % ships
sunk, 6 probably sunk and II
damaged.
A rowing squadron Of destroyers
accounted for seven Japanese ships
sunk and seven more damaged in
attacks along the Bismarck Archi-
pelago, Allied reports showed today.
And still there was no opposition
from the Japanese Navy nor from
the enemy's dwindling air force in
the South Pacific. The only resist
ance to the destroyer assaults came
from shore batteries, which, at Ka-
vieng, New Ireland were accurate
and persistent and caused minor
damage to two American ships, and
which at Rabaul, New Britain, were
sporadic, Intellectual and quickly
silenced. Kavieng appeared to be
fully reinforced.
Second Attack In Week.
The Rabaul raid Friday was the
second in a week. The once-potent
enemy bastion's harbor, ringed with
towering volcanoes, apparently was
well cleared of shipping. because the
destroyers' targets were exclusively
shore installations.
OF the Kavieng raid, Navy Press
Officer 1t. q. g. Thomas Lambert
OF Spokane, Wash, said hardly
had the destroyers' first shots been
hred when the Jap defenders be-
gan returning shell for shell"
Capt. Rodger Simpson of Port
land, Greg, and San Francisco, who
was aboard the flagship, split his
forces and directed part of his fire
against the enemy 6-inch batteries
and the other against Kavieng and
the port.
Bombers reported two cargo ships
were sunk in the port and others
were struck fatally as they were
getting underway Ships attempt
ing to escape sailed directly into
the guns OF other destroyers led
by Capt. Ralph Earle, jr.
Fleeing Tanker Sunk.
A tanker heading for shelter in
a small chain of islands was hit
amldshlps and sank Earlier the
force sank an 8,0O0-ton freighter
while prowling Japanese shipping
lanes.
Co-ordinated with the twin attacks
on Rabaul and Kavieng were a series
OF air assaults, including 1O2-ton
raid on Wewak, the main Japanese
base on New Guinea; at the Ad-
miralty Islands In the Bismarck
Sea, where neither air nor anti
aircraft opposition was reported
and at Rabaul, where 112 tons of
bombs hit airdrome and supply
areas.
The Navy gave its newest figures
on the two-day smash at Truk
mighty enemy base in the Central
Pacific Caroline Islands, after re-
check. The total compared with a
previous listing of 10 ships sunk and
Z probably sunk. The additions to
the original list were not identified
by the Navy There were no capital
ships listed in the previous tabula-
ton of enemy losses.
No change was made in the re-
port on japanese plane casualties
2Ol destroyed and SO damaged
United States losses had been given
as II planes and moderate" dam.
age to one surface ship.
Ponape Is Raided.
American conquest of Kwajalein
and Eniwetok Atolls in the Mar
shall Islands apparently is begin
ming to pay dividends. Admiral
Chester w. Nimitz reported a 3O-ton
bombing raid on Ponape, in the
Caroline Islands 425 miles east of
Truk-the fifth raid against that
important staging base since Kwa-
jalein fell February and the third
since Americans invaded Eniwetok
February II.
Other Army and Navy planes
spread destruction over Kusaie and
Nauru Islands and four unidentified
atolls in the Marshalls.
Meanwhile, Toxic broadcast said
japanese forces have completely
routed" a combined Australian and
Dutch force which landed on the
southwest coast of Dutch New
Guinea between the Eilanden and
Lorentz Rivers, far to the rear OF
Japanese positions.
The area described is approx
mately 40 miles wide and lies ap-
proximately 900 miles west of Port
(See PACIFIC, Page A-3.)