SOLOMONS_ 1*1 •to MDwkr Navy %m makiaf, up for those three heavy A U«5, cruisers th^t^-wore sunk by the Japs, cour submarines ^ A A have sunk no fewer than five Japanese vessels lately J 7 f '/'/ j - in Far Fastern waters^. Among them was^on* heavy cruiser. A Tiwy^ probably sank ono other ship^ and^^rtainly'damaged two more. The latest haul of our subs reads as follows: One heavy cruiser sunk; one medium sized cargo ship sunk; one small cargo ship sunk; one small tanker sunk; a one large tanker damaged; one medium sized cargo ship damaged and probably sunk; one medium sized tanker damaged; one small prowler surk . And the Navy adds that these operations have Jht. not been announced in ^ any previous communique. leads to an interesting bit of re car oitulation of Japanese losses as compared to ours. , „„ j Q-r i n i + plv lost two hundred ships The Japanese have delm ireiy 5 1 f>tuUL that sunk, ^ifty-on« probably^ sank^-iEireir-totat.' SOLOMONS - siixrs damaged=^crants-^jf to a hundred and fifty-eighty • In other words, the Army, Navy and Marine forces of the United States have hit no fewer than four hundred and nine Japanese vessels. The American losses in the Pacific^since Pearl Harbory are sixty. Tl^at mean^ forty-s ix men-o-war of all classifications sunk,and^ fourteen merchant ships. FLEET FOLLOW SOLOMONS There is a story abroad over the Pacific area that a big Japanese fleet is at sea. Just where we do not know, but it was reported td^have %een moving south. The story comes by radio from the Australian Broadcasting Commission, ana the news is attributed to Chinese military sources in-Chungking. However, the is ^ f airly circumstantial to the extent that it enumerates the Japanese men-o-war^- seven battleships, four aircraft carriers and several cruisers. The exact number of cruisers is not specified. NIMITZ___ More good news from the Solomon Islands, quite aside from the sinking of those five Jap ships The marines are in the Solomon Islands to stay. They cran not only hold what they have .but^eventually they urtS start pushing north. Aird that ^ia :iie-idl«-J3oas't'’. /T ~ -' a . J the ^judswent the Commander-in-Chi^ey of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester M. Nimi'e.l He has every reason to feel that way4 he--^tt5M. At the same time, rce-^tf«its=ta warn ttre-=pyhlithat this A^ must not be taken to mean that the United Nations have the Jap«w» on the run. Thia :dis ussd eardsr^ -It means/that I have the utmost confidence A that the men on the spot will hold what they have and eventually start rolling northward." MM. Jt S'Vt’k — 7t/jw Admiral Nimitz "I we_nt there to i£k*itfei*^®XXE^iax^XK®x^^^^KKX XRK>SKR familiarize myself with the actual conditions and see NIMITZ - 2 7 . ith my o..n eyes the things I had been hearing and rea inf ah out. from that standpo int, " he ■ /\ it trip was most successful." xxiir k The Admiral^und moral everywhere excellent, particularly among the marines on Qua :alcanala-M everyone from Major General Vandegrift, commanding the ground forces, down to the privates. They are working hard from early morning A rT . to nirht to improve their positions. ’Admiral Nimitz found that it hard to tell the difference between the members of the dif^er^ntr services - marines, K * ** army men and coast guabd. ftsd-lrsixaid: "You must see /| the jungles to appreciate the difliculties of moving troops there'he marines," he added, "have taken, a heavy toll of the Japanese who are attain ting to reinforce Guadalcanal Island. The nu^iine losses have been disproportionately small. Tne Japanese," oeciared Nimitz, nmust not be under-estimated. They are brave and resourceful and for the most part experienced fighters. But they are now meeting people with those same characteristics, and they are suffering losses accordingly." "Every xh Jap ship torpedoed by our submarines increases th£ seriousness of the Jap problem. Our submarineT.^^^ii^^are in there swinging day and night. Some are luckier than others, hut they all kxrf l get something. .The Japs ar* losing a lot o: snips."