June 22, 1944; GREAT NAVAL VICTORY IN PACIFIC:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JUNE 22, 1944:

BY WILLIAM F. TYREE

(United Press War Correspondent)

PEARL HARBOR, June 22 (UP)—

Admiral Chester WV Nimitz announced today that the U. S. Fifth fleet had won one of the greatest triumphs of the war by defeating the  Japanese grand fleet in a battle off the Philippines in which 11 of the enemy's major units were sunk or damaged.

 

Admiral Nimitz Says

Victory One Of Greatest

War In Pacific

Nipponese Large Carriers Sunk or Damaged and Set

Afire in Action Off Philippines; Baiile Which

Started Monday Brought American Planes From

Fifth Fleet Into Action With Telling Results.

BY WILLIAM F. TYREE

(United Press War Correspondent)

PEARL HARBOR, June 22 (UP)—

Admiral Chester WV Nimitz announced today that the U. S. Fifth fleet had won one of the greatest triumphs of the war by defeating the  Japanese grand fleet in a battle off the Philippines in which 11 of the enemy's major units were sunk or damaged.

The long-sought showdown battle with the Japanese; fleet opened Monday afternoon in the waters between the Philippines and the new American foothold in the Marianas islands.

On the basis of the latest information, American carrier-based planes from Admiral Raymond A. Spruance's fleet inflicted the following damage on the Japanese:

One carrier believed to be the 17,000-ton Buiakaku

received three 1,000-pound bomb hits.

A Hayataka class carrier was sunk.

One of the same class was damaged badly and left

burning furiously.

One light carrier of the Zuito or Taito class received

at least one bomb hit. • • • s

One Honsho class battleship was damaged.

One cruiser was damaged. •

Three destroyers were hit, one of them believed

sunk.

Three tankers were sunk, and two more badly damaged

and left burning.

Two U. S. carriers and one battleship received superficial

damage. ,

Forty-nine American planes were lost.

All action was by carrier-based planes. The surface units of

the fleet never closed.

Nimitz, commander of the U. S. Pacific fleet, gave the first (for tails of the battle in an extraordinary announcement at 4 a. m. Honolulu time (9:30 a. m. EWT) today.

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