Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. ’* 1 lie News of I lie Day In Pictures i\Ienil>er Of I he Associated 1 resi
THE NOME NUGGET ^
VOL. 44. No. 55. NOME. ALASKA, FRIDAY. MAY 8, 1942. Pftr c°Py W
Naval Battle Fought In Coral Sea
U. S. Fleet Sinks 8 Jap Vessels Off Solomon Islands
Allied and Jap Warships Fight
Mammoth 5-Day Battle In Coral Sea
Largest Naval Battle in American History—Perhaps
Surpasses Battle of Jutland, May 31, 19196
UNDATED, May 8 (AP) — Allied and Japanese
warships fought to the death in a mammoth 5-dav-old
battle in the Coral Sea northeast of Australia, in which
American, British, and Australian gunners already
sunk or crippled at least 13 enemy warships. United
Nation headquarters announced that 9 Jap warships
were sunk, including an aircraft carrier, two cruisers,
two destroyers, and four gunboats. Four other enemy
warships were bady damaged, but none but combat!
vessels were sunk. Two others were damaged.
Fatal Struggle Still Waging
The fatal struggle is still waging and appeared by
all accounts the greatest naval battle of the new World
War. It is also the biggest naval engagement in all
American history and perhaps rivaled the magnitude:
of the Battle of Jutland on May 31, 1916, between the
British and German grand fleets.
Tokyo Claims Toll 5 United Nations Warships
Imperial Tokyo Headquarters claimed a toll of five
United Nations warships including the sinking of a U.j
S. battleship of the 32,000-ton California class; the
33,000-ton aircraft carrier Saratoga: and the 19,000
ton carrier Yorktown. In addition Tokyo asserted that
the Oritis, a battleship of the 30,000-ton Warspite type
was heavily damaged and perhaps sunk; and an Aus-,
tralian cruiser of the 10,000-ton Canberra type damag
ed and may have gone down.
British Deny Loss, Damage of Warspite
In London the Admiralty quickly denied that the:
Warspite or any other British battleship was sunk or
damaged in the Coral Sea.
On the basis of the Japanese claim, which complete
ly lacked confirmation from any Allied source, it ap
peared that at least a section of Admiral Nimitz’s main!
Pacific fleet, stationed at Pearl Harbor is at sea andj
out to challenge the Jap fleet in a running battle, which
apparently started Monday off the Salomon Islands and
spread westward into the Coral Sea, flaming across
hundreds of miles of the south Pacific. First reports
indicated that it far exceeded the scope of the impor
tant great battle of the Java Sea two months ago when'
Jap successes paved the way for the conquest of Java
Suspension of
Assessment Work
Becomes Law
Washington, May 8 (AP>
— Representative O’Con
nor said that President
Roosevelt signed the bill
suspending the annual as
sessment work on unpat
ented mining claims and
extends from July 1, 1942
to July 1, 1943.
Chinese Stop
Jap Advance
Burma Road
Chungking, May 7 (AP)
— Jap columns, trying to
advance along the Burma
Road northeast of Che
fang, were routed by a
Chinese counter attack,
one column of a thousand
men being “wiped out”
and another crushingly de
feated, a Chinese communi
que said.
Japs Complete
Occupation of
Manila Bay Forts
%!
_______
Tokyo, May 8 (AP) —
Imperial headquarters said
Japanese forces completed
the occupation of Corregi
dor and the other fortified,
islands in Manila Bay at 4
p.m. Wednesday, PWT.
Jap dispatches said Gen.
Wainwright and his staff
surrendered to the Japs at
Malinta Hill, central point
of the fortified island.
Governor Returns
To Juneau After
Trip To Capital
Gov. Ernest Gruening is back
in his office today after an ab
sence of three and a half months
during which time he visited
Washington, D. C., on official busi
ness for the Territory. He re
turned to Juneau on Saturday.
Mrs. Greuning remained in
Washington but is expected to
return to Juneau in several
weeks.
Navy Announces Sinking 8 Jap
Skips In Battle Near Solomon Is.
WASHINGTON, May 7, 1:37 p.m.—12:21 p.m. (AP)
— The Navy announced that 3 Japanese ships, includ
ing 7 warships were sunk in a naval engagement in
the vicinity of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. Four
other enemy vessels were badly damaged. The action,
was carried out with but the loss of three Amercan
planes, the communique said. It also announced that
(J. S. subs on patrol in the Western Pacific sunk three;
enemy ships. These anr various sinkings and damug-l
ings raised to more than 230 the number of Jap ves
sels destroyed or damaged by U. S. forces to date.
No details, of an apparently great naval engagementi
involving Japanese forces striking at the flank of the
American supply line to Australia were given in the,
Navy report except the results and the fact that it •
occurred on May 4th. Naval authorities declared that
the employment of the term “naval engagement” left
no doubt that this action, involving American and
Japanese surface units as well as airplanes, is the first
on any considerable scale since the battle of the Java
Sea in which the Japanese emerged victorious.
Enemy ships sunk were listed bv the Navy as a
light cruiser, two destroyers, four gunboats, and a
supply vessel. Those damaged were: a 9,000-ton sea
plane tender, a light cruiser, a cargo vessel, and a
transport.
Ominous Increase Jap Naval Activity
Around New Britain Is Reported
Allied headquarters in Australia, May 7, 9:55 a.m.—
9:20 a.m. (AP) — An ominous increase in Japanese
naval activity around New Britain and the Solomon
Islands was reported by the Allied bomber command,
swiftly countering with high explosives this develop
ing threat to the all-important American-Australian
supply routes.
The Headquarters communique, noting strengthen
ing of Japanese at those two north and northeastern
groups where they already have established footholds
said Jap warships are near Bougainville in the Solo
mons, 300 miles east of New Britain, and were “attack
ed successfully” yesterday. No details were given but
obviously Headquarters is alive to these implications;
that any strengthening of the invaders’ forces in those
areas is for a direct assault on Australia or an encircl
ing move to seize the screen of islands to the east of
this continent.
British Capture Madagascar Naval
Base in 48 Hours with 1,000 Losses
LONDON, May 7, 9:55 a.m. — 9:20 a.m. (AP> —
Strong British land and naval forces captured the Diego
Suarez naval base and surrounding territory at the
strategic north tip of Madagascar at a cost of some
thing more than a thousand men. The occupation of
this key point on the Indian Ocean supply routes, which
will prevent its falling into Axis hands, was accom
plished in 48 hours, after British Commandos, marines
and soldiers landed at dawn Tuesday, but only after the
assault was thrown back Wednesday morning by the
hard-fighting colonial troops and seamen loyal to the
Vichy regime.
Winston Churrhill, reporting the action in the Com
mons, declared the coup was planned for 3 months
“in order to prevent bloodshed as much as possible.
Very strong forces of all arms were employed.”
The French said the British force included 23 war
ships, 5 of heavy tonnage, signifying they were battle
ships or large cruisers.
Beaverbrook ,
Advocates Second
Front with Axis
LONDON, May (1 (delayed)
(A1) — A Lord Beaverbrook in
terview appearing in the News
Chronicle, renewed demands for
opening a second front against
the Axis. He said he is taking
the hopeful view that “in due
course it will become a reality."
When Beaverbrook made a pub
lic appeal for the opening of a
strong front in a speech in the
United States recently, it was
widely criticized at home.
He praise American determin
ation to assist the Australian de
fense to the utmost limit.
John Troy Funeral Held Wednesday
Ceremonies Under Auspices of Elks Lodge
JUNEAU, May 7 (Juneau Empire) — Last rites for
former Governor Troy were held Wednesday after
noon at the Elks Hall with Elks service and Dean C. E.
Rice of Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral giving the
eulogy. All business was suspended during the service,
both Federal and Territorial offices closing, many for
the entire afternoon. A military squad fired a volley
over the grave and bugles blew taps. The funeral pro
cession was one of the largest ever held in the city.
Funeral services for former Gov. John Wier Troy,
who died last Saturday afternoon in St. Ann’s Hospital
in Juneau, after a prolonged illness, were held at two
o’clock Wednesday afternoon in the Elks’ Hall. The
ritual of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
was spoken by the lodge officers. Dean C. E. Rice, of
Holy Trinity Cathedral, delivered the eulogy. Lola Mae
Alexander sang “In the Garden,” and “In the Sweet
Bye and Bve.”
Interment was made in the Elks’ plot in the Ever
green Cemetery. Active pallbearers were the follow
ing members of the staff of the The Daily Alaska Em
pire: Elmer A. Friend, Alfred Zenger, R. L. Bernard,
James Primavera, Arthur Brigdaie and J. E. Meate.
Pallbearers
Honorary pallbearers were: Oscar G. Olson. William
A. Ilolzheimer, James J. Connors, H. L. Faulkner, J.
F. Mullen. R. E. Mqhe jn. W B. Krk Grover G. Winn,
Charles Goldstein, Frank A. Boyle, William A. Ma
honey, Allen Shattuck, Dr. W. W. Council, George
Parks, James V. Davis, Gov. Ernest Gruening, Dr. E.
H. Laser, Mayor Harry I. Lucas, Ike P. Taylor, John
W. Jones, Russel Maynard, H. L. Vanderleest, B. Frank
Heintzleman, Henry Roden and William A. Hesse.
The casket was not opened during the service in the
Elks Hall. Friends, however, called at the Charles W.
Carter Mortuary between the hours of 7 and 9 o’clock,
Guard of Honor
A U. S. Army Guard of Honor participated in the
ceremony.
Mrs. John W. Troy arrived in Juneau Tuesday after
noon by plane from Hollywood. California, to attend
the funeral service.
Practically all business houses and offices in Juneau
closed during the hours of the funeral between 2 and
3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon. Many Federal and
Territorial offices also were closed, some of them for
the entire afternoon.
There was no publication on Wednesday of the
Juneau Empire.
To Release
French Fliers
Fight Britain
LONDON, May (i (Delayed)
(/Pi — A Lisbon dispatch to the
Daily Express said between thir
ty and thirty five thousand
French airmen, including pilots, j
gunners and ground crews will
be released from war prison i
camps by Germany on June 1st.!
Their primary aim will be fight-1
ing over French territory against
British air attacks.
--—
V ichy Fears
Loss of Two
French Cruisers
LONDON, May 6 (Delayed)
f/P) — Thursday, the Daily Ex
press quotes the French radio as
saying the 7,(>00-ton French cruis
ers Marsailles and Lamotte Pic
quet have been missing since the
British attack on Madagascar. It
i was said Vichy expressed fears
that “they may either have join
ed the British or are trying to
rejoin the French fleet in Indo
1 China.”
Slop German
Spring Offensive
Finnish Front
Moscow, May 8 (AP> —*
The German spring offen
sive intended to smash ac
ross the Soviet Karelian
frontier with Finland at 3
points was repulsed, battle
front dispatches reported.
A dispatch from Pravda
“from the border state”
said the Germans with
drew from Russian terri
tory with heavy losses.
This is the second at
tempt by the enemy at a
drive in this sector of the
Karelian. In the first, near
the outbreak of the war, a
Finnish battalion of 1,200
men supported by two Ger
man companies crossed the
frontier in the same gener
al region but were driven
back into Finland by a
Russian counter attack.
j Huy Defense Bonds and Stamps