Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. **T!ie News of the Da\ In Pictures** Member o) I be \ssoeiated Press
THE NOME NUGGET
VOL. 44. No. 80. NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY. JUNE 12, 1942. Pe-Copy 154
^^^^^ritainSig Pact
Navy Discloses Carrier Lexington
Sunk By Japs Battle Coral Sea
WASHINGTON. June 12 (AP) — The Navy an
nounced the loss of the carrier Lexington as a result
of the battle of the Coral Sea, which prevented fhe
Japs from e ther invading or isolating Australia. The
loss was disclosed in connection with an official review
of the Navy’s part in the entire Coral Sea campaign,
starting March 10 at New Guinea and running through
May 8. when enemy aircraft inflicted such damage on
the Lexington that several hours later she exploded
and sunk, but with a relatively light loss of life. The
Navy said C2 percent of her persnnenl were rescued.
The review showed that the Coral Sea campaign, end
ing disastrously for the enemy, cost the Japs more than
15 ships sunk, two probably sunk and 20 damaged.
The only American losses were the 33,000 ton Lex
ington, the tanker Neosho and the destroyer Sims A
large part of the personnel of the Neosho and the Sims
were rescued and reached port.
As against these losses, the Navy announced that the
Japs suffered the loss of one aircraft carrier, three,
heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, two destroyers, and
several transports and small supply vessels; severely
damager and probably sunk, one cruiser and one de
stroyer; and severely damaged, more than 20 ships in
cluding one aircraft carrier, three cruisers, two air
craft tenders and three destroyers.
Russia and Britain Sign 20
Year Mutual Assistance Treaty
UNDATED, June 11 (AP) — Russia and Britain
signed a 20-year mutual assistance treatv as the Axis
armies pressed a violent assault on the key Black Sea
naval base at Sevastopol, and the Germans announced
the capture of a strategic post in the‘the battle of
North Africa. The revelation that Russia’s foreign j
minister, Molotov, will come to the United States after!
negotiations in London, led to speculation that he I
might be arranging a similar pact with the United j
States.
Anthony Eden said the pact was signed on May 26th.
Eden said the pact was directed against “Hitlerite Ger
many.” The signatory powers pledged themselves to
rebuild post-war Europe on the designs of the famous
Atlantic Charter signed by President Roosevelt and
Prime Minister Churchill. The pact provides for “com
mon action to preserve peace and resist aggression in
the post war period,” and pledges the nations not to
enter any negotiations with the Hitler regime or any
German government which fails to renounce aggres
sion. Japan was not mentioned in the treaty.
Eden’s disclosure that Molotov had been to Wash
ington was accompanied by the comment that the So
viet Commisar held “the most useful and satisfactory
talks with the President.”
In the North African front, Hitler’s command assert
ed that Axis troops captured Bur Hachein, southern
anchor of the 50-mile British defense line, while the
British declared that the Free French defenders have
beaten off a new series of assaults on the key outpost.
Pav Adjustment
Goes to President
For Consideration
WnsNntftnn, June 11 (AP)
— C moleted Congression
r.l anproval of the military
wacro adjustment bill, fix
ing the minimum pay scale
at $50 a month in the arm
ed forces, becomes effect
ive June 1st. 1942. The Sen
ate adoption conference
sent the measure to the
President for his considera
lion. The estimated cost
will be an additional half,
a billion or more yearly.
To Increase
Federal Tax
On Cigarettes
i Washington, June 11 (AP)
]—■ The House Ways and
Me-ns committee decided
to increase the federal tax
ion cioaretes from six and
! one-ha:f to seven cents per
: package in order to raise
| $05,000,000.
_ __
! National Rubber
Collection Drive
June 1.5 to 30
WASHINGTON, June 12 (AP)
I — President Roosevelt announc
ed that an intensive campaign
for the collection of the nation’s
I old scrap rubber supply will
siart June 15 and last through
Ji ne 30th. Individuals were urg'
ed by the President to search in
■ b sLinents, attics and backyards
| for all items of rubber discarded
r which can be discarded. Four
r hundred thousand filling stations
I will serve as collection depots
* and will pay one cent a pound
for all rubber brought in. The
government will reimburse them
at that scene.
The President, declaring the
rubber situation is extremely ser
■ous, again urged the people to
cut down pleasure driving and
reduce both auto and speed mil
age.
. "T/l *.7^^
• ISLANDS
WAKE
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Dutch Harbor, Alaska (circled) was attacked by four Japbo mbers and 15 pursuit
ships at G a.ni. for fiften minutes, the Navy announced in Washington. This map
locates Dutch Harbor and shows distances from Japan to various Pacific points.
DUTCH HARBOR ALASKA BOMBED BY JAPS
. N * *
. I
Four Jap bombers, accompaied by 15 fighters attacked Dutch Harbor. Alaska, for
liftee miutes. the Navy announced. This is a general view of the small community
now a naval air station.
Accounts ol Battle of Midway
9
Reveal How Japs Were Beaten
UNDATED, June 11 (AFJ) — Dramatic new ac
counts of the battle of M'dway revealed that American
Flying Fortresses and other U. S. forces broke m two
j huge Jap fleets, and beat off an attack by I8u enemy
1 planes and saved the Hawaiian islands from invasion.
Admiral Nimitz said perhaps half the enemy ships were,
! sunk or damaged in the thiee-day battle in which Jap
an suffered the greatest naval disaster in history.
Nim itz said thousands of Japs must have perished
or were left to drown by their shipmates’ flight before
the Americans. The battle ended Saturday when the
U. S. forces lost contact with the enemy in darkness.
“A better show than the world series,” jubilant crew:
members of one of the armies big B-17 bombers, sum
med up the battle.
i Two big enemy armadas approached Midway on
June 3rd, with a train of transports, striking from the
, west, while a powerful battle squadron steamed up
from another direction, according to eye witness re
ports. American Army, Navy, and Marine fliers in
dicated that about 20 ships were in the transport force,
and “some 20 to 25 ships” in the battle squadron.
Getting in the first decisive blow, U. S. Army bomb
ers made contact with the enemy far west of Midway
on the afternoon of June 3rd. This apparently was the
Jap transport column. In medium altitude attacks,
braving a terrific barrage of anti-aircraft fire, the army
planes hit and set fire to a Jap cruiser or battleship
and also left a transport and destroyer in flames. The
following morning, June 4th. U. S. Marine dive bomb
ers and Army Flying Fortresses smashed the Jap battle
fleet 150 miles off Midway, inflicting heavy damage to
the enemy. Full details were not released.
Col. Walter Sweeney of San Francisco led the squad-,
ron of Flying Fortresses in the attacks on June 3rd and
4th, and gave a graphic description: “There was a big
battle line of destroyers & outside of them cruisers ami
battleships, and away back, the carriers. When we
picked out our target, we picked the biggest carrier
and headed for it. The minute our bomb bays opened,
ack-ack started coming up. It was fine shooting. The
Japs must have good range finders because the first
shots were right at our altitude. The Jap ships started
frantic escape maneuvers, but our pattern bomb hit
the carrier. We got at least one definite hit on the port
bow. We saw flames and smoke after the explosion. A
few Zero fighters came up at us but we lost them quick
ly due to our speed and their faint heartedness ”
Molotov and Roosevelt Reach Full
Understanding Regarding 2nd Front;
WASHINGTON, June 11 (AP) — The White House
announced that the President and Foreign Minister
Molotov reached a “full understanding” in conversa
tions in regard to the urgent task of creating a second
front in Europe in 1942.” The White House, disclosing
Russians Better Positions
At Sevastopol Despite
Constant German Attacks
MOSCOW, June 12 ( AP> —
Aft r beatirg off a week nf vir
tually constant German on
■ laugh ts. the defenders of Sev
astopol counter attacked and im
oroved srtr.e of * . :»r p- sitions,
Russian Army dispatches said.
There were no further details
In tht- Ukraine a midnight com
mun quo said Russian forces are
putting up a violent defensive
fight against the advance of Ger
man. tank^ and infantry east of
Kharkov.
-- — S
Nazis Report Successes
East of Kharkov
BERLIN. June 12 (APv — Ger
man forces east of Kharkov car
ried out successful attacks in in
creasing volume, the German
command reported. On the Sev
astopol front, a communique said
attacks around numerous de
fense works of the Russians gam
ed ground in stubborn fighting,
and repeated enemy counter at
tacks collapsed with heavy loss
es. ’
British, German Armored
Forces Locked In Battle
In Libyan Desert
CAIRO. June 12 (AP) — Brit
ish tanks are locked in a bitter
battle with German armored
forces about 30 miles southeast
of Tobruk, in an effort to block
the drive of three strong col
umns which turned m. rtheast
ward toward that objective, af
ter forcing the Free French out
of Bir Hacheim, southern anchor
of the British line. Harmat, 6
miles south of the desert track
crossing at Knightsbridge
around which centered much of
the battling of this German of
fensive, is the general scene of
the engagement
that Molotov visited this country
gave no additional details on the
second front nor did the state
ment say whether the agreement
was to open such a front or not
to do so. The White House said
also that they attained a unity
in views on two other vital ques
tions pertaning to the war efforts
measures increasing and speed
ing up of supplies, planes, tanks,
and other kinds of war materials
from the U. S. to Russia, and
fundamental problems of coop
eration between the Soviet un
ion and the United States in safe
guarding the peace and security
of freedom-loving peoples after
the war.”