Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-01-13
Fleet
Continued From First PageD

NCOIltulueu from flTSL RAGE
effort to strike in behind Gen. Mac
Arthur before the convoy can even
get under way, caught the japanese
by surprise.
That was attested by last nights
communique pointing out that six
loaded transports were sunk at Sal
gon and at least another six in the
harbor of Qui-Nhon, $50 miles to the
northeast.
The fact a light cruiser was the
biggest warship far bagged indi-
Gates Japan is SO hard hit in the
higher catagories that her admirals
are forced to send in boy to do
mans Job.
BY way of emphasizing that posi-
bility, Admiral Nimitz yesterday
confirmed the sinking of Japans
45,000-ton battleship, the Musashi
He said conclusive evidence shows
that she blew up and sank as the
result of damage inflicted on her by
aircraft attacks" last October "a
during the second battle Of the Phil
ippines Sea.
The Musashi and sister ship, the
Yamato, damaged in the same
action, were the two most powerful
battleships in the Japanese feet.
Reports to date on the feet pene-
tration to waters of Indo-China
also are remarkable for the light
enemy land-based opposition listed
Land-based air power, when able to
be unleashed in continuous waves,
poses menace to an attacking fleet
A Nimitz communique covering
Thursdays action said only 10 Jap
planes rose to defend Saigon. Carrier
fighters shot down TO- Fifty enemy
planes were found at Thanh Son
Nhut, air base north of Saigon Island.
Eight were destroyed. A Japanese
bomber was spotted and shot down
off the coast.
20 Flying Boats Wrecked.
AT Camranh Cat-lai near Saigon
and at Qui-Nhon Harbor 20 flying
boats and seaplanes were wrecked.
The overwhelming air superiority
of the attacking carrier planes can
be understood by noting there were
enough to continue attacks on ships
while at the same time sending
raiders in over the Asiatic MAIN
land.
The mainland raiders set many
fires on shore around Saigon, at
the Thanh Son Nhut air base and
at Port Nhabe.
Powerful as are the air punches
falling along the do-China coast,
they represent but a fraction Of the
Sd Fleets punching ability as I'M
derlined by disclosures Of the For
mosa attacks January 8.
Admiral Nimitz said last night
that fresh reports from Admiral
Halsey. which had been delayed by
required radio blackout to pro-
tect fleet movements, show at least
80 enemy ships were sunk at For
mosa Monday. They included de-
stroyers or destroyer escorts, an
oiler, a big cargo ship, 2 medium
cargo ships and 81 small craft.
80 Ships Damaged.
Among more than 80 other ships
damaged were destroyer and five
destroyer-escorts.
Thirty-seven japanese planes were
destroyed and 81 damaged. A chem
ical plant was wiped out, smelter
hard hit, shops were wrecked, loco
motives and tank cars destroyed,
ammunition dumps blown up and
radio stations damaged. Four Amer
lean planes were lost.
That snarled any Japanese plans
to make Formosa's reinforcement
possibilities felt on dangerous scale
at Luzon against Gen. Macarthur.
Then Admiral Halsey's ships
moved to protect Luzon's American
invasion Army from still another
direction. Tuesday and Wednesday
it moved across the South China
Sea, while protecting air patrols
knocked seven spying Jap planes out
Of the sky.
Admiral Nimitz disclosed last
night that bombers of the 7th Army
Air Force based in the Palau Islands
have helped pave the way for Gen
MacArthur's invaders in the Philip
pines by dropping 1875 tons of ex-
plosives since last November / on
such islands of the archipelago as
Luzon, Cebu, Negros and Mactan