The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-06-22
Victory Described AS
One of Greatest of War
spokesman soon would have o big
naval victory to announce.
Nk4 maa-n. OAns nn
CONTINUED from Page u

spokesman soon would have 0 big
naval victory to announce.
353 Planes Shot Down
In the same cotnfnuhique Nimitz
revised upward from 800 10 $50 the
number Of Japanese planes shot
down In the attack on the American
fleet off the Marianas Sunday.
It disclosed for the first time
that In the Sunday engagement two
y. 8. Aircraft carriers and one bat
tlestip received superficial damage,
and q planes were lost In combat.
The fighting ability Of the warshipS
was not impaired BY the slight dam
age TO them.
The cornttunique said nothing Of
U. s. Naval damage In the Monday
battle of the Philippines, and Il
was Indicated that no Information
was available yet.
The heaviest blows In the air-sea
battle Oft the Philippines we're
struck In the last daylight hours OF
Monday. After darkness closed in,
the Japanese broke off the engage
ment and fed westward toward
the channel between EUfmosa and
Lu2on, from which they emerged.
Nirnits disclosed that the y. 8.
victory was 20 decisive that units
still are ranging the battle area
three days later In search Of Amer.
lean airmen who may have sur.
vived from the lost planes. Many
Of the crewmen landed in the water
at night, and an undetermined
number already have been rescued.
The heet units were commanded
by Admiral Spruance, while the
carrier taAk force was under the Inn
fndiate tactical command Of Vice
Admiral M. H. Mitscher.
Avoid Battle
Rembeft James, representing the
combined press aboard d joint ex-
peditionary force flagship of the
einbattled Marianas island Of SAL
pan, reported that the Japanese
fleet was continuing to avoid bat
tie after almost q week Of COM
plex naval fencing In the vast ocean
stretched between the Marianas and
the Philippines"
No details Of the naval fencing"
were given In the dispatch, which
was dated June "a east longitude
time "wednesday Pearl Harbor
time.)
It also failed to say whether the
hundreds Of planes aboard carriers
In the American Fifth Fleet had
made any further attacks on the
enemy warships, which Admiral
Chester w. Nimitz said Tuesday
may comprise the entire Japanese
feet.
James revealed that q. s. Marines
and Army troops, attacking under
cover Of q bornbardment from the
American feet. launched o major
attack shortly after dawn yesterday
designed to wipe out the remaining
Japanese defenders Of Saipan.
Already In possession Of more
than Q third Of the island, iliclud.
ing two airfields. the American
pushed ahead along Q f0ur-mile
front extending entirely across the
island from the outskirts Of Cara.
pan In the west to Magiciefine Bay
In the east. The Marines advanced
one mile In the first three hours,
James said.
Grim Challenge
THE situation forced Upon jap
ans elusive grand fleet the grim.
NEST challenge yet presented Il to
come In and fight" James said.
NiinitS disclosed the initial Amer
lean attack-the opening round In
what may develop into q decisive
battle for control Of the sea ap-
proaches to JApan--on the Japanese
feet In a cominunique yesterday.
American torpedo planes and dive
bombers overlook and attacked the
enemy armada midway between the
Marianas and the Philippines Just
before dusk Monday, ne said.
limiting that direct hits were
scored on some OF the enemyis naval
units. Nimitz added:
Enemy losses and our own losses
have not yet been assessed. Add
tional details viii be made known
rs they become available"
The enemy fleet was known to In
clude battleships and aircraft car
riers and presented the jIiciest tar
get offered American planes and
warships since the air forces sank 20
enemy warships. including four air.
craft carriers, In the Battle Of Mid
way nearly two years ago.
American losses In the latest eFi-
gagement, presumably fought some
$50 miles west Of the American
beachhead on gAipan, administrative
center Of the Marianas. presumably
comprised only air craft since there
was no indication that Japanese
carrier based planes made any SINH
lar attack on ships OF the NTH
fleet.
Admiral Raymond A. epsnAnce.
commander Of the American feet,
was believed TO have ordered he
hattleships, aircraft carriers and
other vessels into immediate action
In an ettetiut 70 join battle with
the enemy concentration, but there
was no word ~ 70 whether he had
succeeded.
u was possible that the enemy
Aeet was retiring to FeoEganize and
resArni after losing e09 aircraft ID
eeogsiVe attempts - iDtegfsfs with
the American landing and growing
conquest Of Esipan since June IL,
e the lnns-aWaitsa battle has