Evening star., 1944-06-24
japanese Fleet Seen
Thrown Off BuIunce
East Indies Now Vulnerable
to Air Attack, Says Writer

East Indies Now Vulnerable
to Air Attack, Says Writer
BY David Laurence.
The naval battle last Sunday, in which
more than $50 Japanese planes were lost,
may some day be regarded BY historians
as the first really decisive step toward
the defeat Of Japan.
While emphasis has been placed upon
the fact that the Japanese feet eluded
pursuit and did not come TO grips with
surface vessels, the real story Of the
naval tight Is the fact that the japanese
task force lost practically It's entire naval
aviation.
1t is known that nearly all the Jap
anese ayiators who fiew from at least
seven carriers never got back and Amer
lean pilots must have noted the empty
decks when on Monday our own air.
planes inflicted their death blows on q
carrier and severely damaged other war
ships in the task force.
Japs Thrown on Balance.
It is, Of course, quite possible that the
japanese have only one task force with
adequate naval aviation and that this
was kept in the waters adjacent to the
Philippines and Formosa in order to
operate defensiyely against any Amer
lean task force which might attempt to
proceed southwark into the waters In
and around Borneo and the Netherlands
East Indies. Presumably the japanese
have felt that their land-based planes
were adequate to protect the homeland.
so they sent their main task force and
carriers to the south. It Is quite pos
sible the Japanese have q second task
force for home waters, too, but this does
not lessen the significance Of our VIC
tory.
For whether the Japanese have one
or two big task forces, 1t is fact that
tremendous defeat has been inflicted
and it viii take from three to four
months at least for new planes and an
other group OF aviators to be trained
with the existing carriers and any ship
replacements that may be provided.
In truth. the United States Navy has
thrown the Japanese feet Oh balancs
and hence In the next three to four
months. 1t is quite possible that the adj
vantage will be pressed and that the
japanese will be forced back virtually to
the coast Of China.
1t would not be surprising If the Jap
anese soon evacuate the Netherlands
East Indies. Several weeks ago, 1t win
be recalled, there was published report
that sizable japanese feet had moved
southwark toward Singapore. Possibly It
was the same feet that yentured forth
from the waters around Luzon and
Formosa last Sunday. This may mean
that the waters in and around Singa-
pore have been left unprotected by the
Japanese except for light cruisers and
destroyers. Certainly, so far rs air power
Is concerned, the Japanese have lost
large proportion Of their strength and
cannot confront our aircraft carriers
with any substantial resistance either
defensively or extensively.
The most important results TO now
from the naval victory are these: Max
ing secure our hold on the Marianas,
forcing of the Japanese feet back to
the waters close to the China coast,
and making the Netherlands East Indies
even more vulnerable than heretofore to
air attack.
Protection for Land Forces.
The defeat OF the Japanese means
also that our naval and air forces can
protect the American ground forces
which are mopping up Saipan and also
any other land forces that may be used
In recapturing Guam and the other
islands in the Marianas chain. It was
absolutely essential that the waters In
and around the Marianas for q dis
tance Of several hundred miles be free
from the enemy so that more landing
and supply operations could be carried
on without interference. This objective
has been achieved.
So while 1t is true that the japanese
fleet ran away. Its plight carries .
greater meaning than q mere mvill-
ingness of surface ships to do battle.
1t was confirmation of the fact that
the United States Navy had won the
position with its many task forces
to steam up to the home waters Of
Japan itself and carry on an aerial
bombardment. Also, 1t means that our
land-based bombers not only can rove
the Pacific in the radius of TOO miles
from the Marianas, but can give added
protection as against any Japanese
warships, including submarines, that
may venture into the area close to our
new bases in the Marianas.
In some respects the naval battle of
last Sunday and Monday is the greatest
of the Pacific war, for at no time on
record have so many carried based
planes been destroyed in a single en-
gagement.
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