The Wilmington morning star., 1944-10-27
interpreting
The War .
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press War An" uN

w.
ty that the Keystone Of her As ssat
conquest arch-the striking as.at.
of her high seas fleets, power
fatally cracked by the 40 1,S 0ea
States in the triangular BATH ea''es
the Philippines. ''''e q
Even before the full foil :,
my sea and air losses can h. ~ eNe'
oned, it is clea rthat the e If stei'
fighting strength afloat Of that tt s.'
mas been reduced at least , ose
third. 1t was gambled and 1o, ens
a futile attempt to halt Or M M u
American reoccupation of the 1 ps5
ippines. VIC FA'
Damaged remnants Of mn.
posing japanese sea power l' :, la'
still in flight or licking their wo' are
in hideouts in Philippine and cslS
sea waters. 0Nlna
That sea-air battle which M,
go into history as the most '. a!
cisive action of the Allied-Jansr.sSs''
war potentially has changed m,i,'
factors governing Allied strategy
Unquestionably it has lesss ss!,
Japanese naval power to fenS + ~
American reconquest of the pbiT W.
pines, seizure of Chinese base, +
operation or even direct assanlt
Japan even if the enemy fleet c..
not yet be written off comnletslr
That is circumstance cert..
to call for revision and stennirr
Up of present coordinated Anols
American plans for pressing n,
war on Japan. Unrevealed militia,
decisions taken at Quebec recor.
ly are virtually outmoded now h,
the pulverizing American naval
blow struck in Philippine water,
and somewhere southeast Of En-,
mosa. 1t offers dazzling opportn.
ty to speed up or even redrec.
the attack not only in the Pacific
but in the Bay of Bengal if N.
means to exploit tn victor
promptly are available.
That conclusion on the part n
Admiral Halsey could easily b.
read between the lines of his ters
message announcing that the Jana.
nese Navy in Philippine waters had
been defeated, seriously damaged
and routed" Yet he may hau
known only part of the story when
he sent it. So far as the position
OF his huge Third fleet has been
indicated in American official sr
counts, it seems TO lie between bal.
tered enemy forces and home bass
IT, Japan. 1t could conceivably sd.
minister a final knockout blow 10
Japanese naval power.
Even if Tokyo claims Of damage
inflicted in the Philippine sea bal.
ties were true-and they are not
the result as reported to date BY
both sides adds up into crushing
American victory. AUTHORITATIVE
naval opinion credits Japan with
from 10 to IL battleships all tod
before the battle. Three were sunk
and seven badly damaged by --latest
official reports. Navy day reveal.
tons from Washington indicated Il
or more American battleships DE-
ployed in the Pacific of which b
kyo claimed only damage to four
Enemy fleet carriers suffered
even more heavily. Out Of an e.
timated japanese total of 10 ol
exclusive of converted types two
were sunk and seven damaged bad
ly, some of them probably H
That compares to fantastic ToF
claims of IA American carries
sunk and damaged out Of sc1a
known to be assigned to the PaCi
ic theater.
It is with such data, known ait
carefully estimated, that Amerea,
and British chiefs of staff will la
in weighing the wisdom Of revan!
sattle directives or Allied COLI
manders to exploit the victory