The Wilmington morning star., 1944-10-16
interpreting
The War
BY ELTON c. FAY
Associated Press War A.,

associated Fress War Analys
The japanese, after more ''
four days of punishment from aaa
erful american carrier t, pow
have reacted with consi5.gel
vigor. a'.
A Sunday night commu,;.
from the United States paaN.
fleet said that strong coIrt
tacks" by enemy aircraft wers e'a'
livered against the task forces VI
Grating in the Formosa ares "
The announcement, morso,
mentions that some of the att,sa
ing planes were shot down bv sSa
aircraft fire. This indicates tbs, '.
least a few of the enemy nI.,
got through the American fght
plane defenses into areas in w vs
surface ships were operating D
The exact composition AN,
launching points of the attacd,.
planes were not clear. The Ame,i'
can communique mentioned ="
craft of the Japanese inperi.,
airforce." There seemed defini..
likelihood, however, that both Isni
based and carrier-borne nlaro.
were in the attacks.
Tokyo's Reports
A few hours before issuance \,
that communique, radio Tokvo !,
propaganda broadcast, said IL.
japanese high command at lon,
last gave the final signal at an I'M
disclosed date to the Japanese IA.
val fleet to rush to the scene a,
battle in full force" A little Later
Tokyo reported that its fleet q,
now in pursuit of the fleeing enemy
task force" rather curious re-,
port in light of the subsequent
American communicates flat state.
ment that this fight is confirm.
ing"
Tokyo's broadcast was the first
time the japanese had mentioned
operation of the imperial japanese
fleet, it said this was 1.-The psyche.
logical moment" an apparent ref.
erence to previous utterances by
Japanese naval officials that the
fleet was waiting to destroy Amer.
lean seapower at one swoop.
The psychological moment
does not, in view of developments
in the Pacific during recent
months, appear to be one of Jap.
anese choosing. The enemy had
seen American triphibious forces
move steadily westward, neutral.
ling the key naval base of Truk,
taking Guam and Saipan, and put.
ting the Philippines and Japans
own Formosa under attack. With
Truk rendered useless and the
Philippine-Formo attack men.
acing the sea route to the south,
the predicament of any japanese
naval forces basing at Singapore
or ports in the Indies becomes
acute. Danger approaches the
home ports of Japan itself.
The japanese surface and air
fleets at this time remain in an
effective condition and there is a
sufficiency of fuel to operate them.
Of what the Japanese fleet con.
sists, no one except the japanese
has anywhere near exact knOwl.
edge. Estimates mention from 10
to Is battleships. There is mention
of the possibility that the battle.
ships include six new vessels
mounting nine 16-inch guns, per-
haps counterparts to the United
States new As, 900 tonners. The en-.
envy fleet is reported to include 10
to IL large carriers, some of them
perhaps of huge size, built on the
hulls of ships originally INTENDED
as battleships or battlecruisers.
Her cruiser force likewise is an
uncertain element, presumably
kept up at least to the 4O-odd
strength she started out the war
! with, although she has lost heavily
F., in this class and in destroyers
during her ventures in the south
and southwest Pacific and in the
costly foray to Midway.
It is probable that her main fleet
now bases chiefly at the major
imperial navy yards in the home
islands, including Yokosuka and
Sasebo, although the latter has
been the target for Bog air at
| tackS.