Evening star., 1945-06-22
Discussion of Losses
On Okinowu Uroed
Writer Says Criticism Would
Help in Future Pacific Operations
BY David Laurence


Help in Future Pacific Operations
BY David Laurence
Eleven destroyers and 20 other war
ships sunk, 81 warships damaged, OF
which four were major units" namely
battleships or large aircraft carriers
this is the announced loss which the
United States Navy suffered at Okinawa
as taken from the official figures.
No naval battle in the Pacific, even
including the attack on Pearl Harbor,
compares with 1t. when personnel losses
are counted. Only one of the 19 war
ships listed as sunk or damaged at Pearl
Harbor was announced as totally lost
Even the three destroyers were SAL
yaged.
AS for the losses in personnel at Pearl
Harbor, there were 5000 officers and
enlisted men of the Army and Navy
killed or missing. The wounded of both
services numbered 1872.
At Okinawa, up to May 29th, the
Navy and Coast Guard lost 4,729 aboard
ships and 4640 were wounded.
In no single naval battle Of surface
ships in the Pacific has the American
Navy suffered as big loss as 81 war
ships sunk and 81 damaged. Thus the
Japanese, without mastering a fleet, de-
lvered a powerful blow by airplanes
against the American naval units sta
toned off Okinawa
Navy 3 Months Offshore.
If the warfare had been confined To
single engagement from the air in
two or three days, Japan could not have
inflicted such serious losses The losses
came because the United States Navy
found it necessary to provide air cover
and supply ships for nearly three
months, while the ground forces battled
1t out on Okinawa. The Navy stood by
off shore waiting for the Army Air
forces to set up their own arplane Ae-
fense of the island against flow Of
suicide bombers.
On the ground, the casualties Of the
United States Army up TO June 31
were 4,4l7 killed and missing, while the
Marines lost 2,573 killed and missing.
The wounded on Okinawa itself num-
bered 1858
No other naval opera ton in this whole
war in connection with landings either
in Sicily. Normany or anywhere else in
the Pacific resulted in such heavy
losses in personnel aboard ships for the
/ American or British navies.
But the losses in time, as well as
damage to ships, must be included. The
B-29s were called off their most i'm.
| portart mission of bombing the heart
| OF Japan so as to get at the air bases
! from which the japanese were REIN
| forcing their air operations against
| Okinawa.
Likewise the damage done to the
American warships required repairs
which took out of active service for an
undisclosed length of time large num-
Der of vessels, including the four ma jor
units
Military men here in Washington
have been discussing the Okinawa op-
Grafton for several weeks now. They
are not armchair strategists Some
| of them actually saw the operations on
Okinawa. Reports have been coming
back from the scene to all the armed
services - Army, Navy and Marine
! Corps. Military critics may speculate
| from their arm chairs but reporters
talk with persons who know what has
| happened and if these reporters are
| conscientious, they tell the public
| about it and do not worry much as to
whose feelings are hurt.
| Questions to Be Answered.
1t is safe to say that what happened
at OkinaWa will be discussed in the
Army and Navy War Colleges for years
to come. There will be such questions
asked as these:
Did the ground commanders utilize
their forces to the best advantage?
Should landings have been made on
the south or southeast coast behind the
japanese lines? Could air cover have
been provided for the protection Of the
ground forces without requiring the
Navy to wait it out for nearly three
months and thus subject its ships to
suicide bombing for that length Of time?
Should the responsibility for providing
( air cover nave Deen an ARMY instead OF
a Navy function? Were enough forces
committed to the Okinawa operation in
the first instance so that the operation
might have moved more quickly?
Could any faster method of building
airflelds have been devised?
All these questions will be answered
by an official inquiry in due time. Prob
ably all the facts will not be disclosed
right away, as that would be giving
information that is covered under mill
tary security.
! Meanwhile, it would be most unfor-
tunate If the issues were treated as if
they were merely personal controversies
between civilian observers and COM
manders. The parents of the As, 900 boys
killed or wounded both ashore and
afloat in connection with the whole
Okinawa operation have a right to in
sist that criticism be not suppressed but
| that there be healthy discussion Of
the whole episode at least for the bene-
| fit of future operations in the Pacific.
! Reproductions Rights Reserved)
France to FIGHT japan