Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 June 1942 — Page 1

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The Indianapolis Time

FORECAST: Showers and thunderstorms probable this afternoon through tomorrow forenoon; cooler tomorrow: forenoon. \

VOLUME 53—NUMBER 80

Lexington Blew Up ‘Like A Firecracker’

SEVERAL HOURS later, while the wounded carrier was steaming out of apparent danger, her speed reduced

Tg By W. F.

TYREE

United Press Staff Correspondent

ABOARD U. S. ie May 10 (delayed).—The U. rier, the 33,000-ton U. S. S

IN SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, . navy’s oldest aircraft car-

S. De was wounded by

enemy bombs in the battle of the Coral sea and several hours later blew up like a Fourth of July firecracker. The end came when flames from leaking gasoline lines reached her torpedo lockers, detonating them with a

mighty roar.

Most of the great ship's personnel, however, had been safely removed a few minutes before the blast.

A few minutes after her

torpedoes went off, the Lex-

ington heeled over and slipped from sight beneath the blue waters. The blast was so terrific that destroyers lingering nearby after aiding in rescue of the carrier's crew were almost lifted from the water,

CORAL SEA SCORE:

15 JAP WARSHIPS SUNK, 3 U.S.

IN THE WILD melee of

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1942

air action which finally sent

remnants of the Japanese task force fleeing from the

wreck-strewn scene of battle,

the Lexington, launched in

1925 and commissioned in December, 1927, had played a

brilliant part.

Her planes—80 to 90 of them—had taken off and struck powerful blows against the enemy. While they

were in the air, Japanese ai diving through terrific anti-a and torpedoes. At least two torpedoes because it had originally been

reraft attacked the carrier, ireraft fire to launch bombs

hit the ship—well-armored designed as a battle cruiser

—and at least two bombs found their mark. Several near misses damaged the vessel's sides. Fires broke out but the crew, battling heroically, man-

aged to put them out and cle

ar the flight deck of debris.

The Lexington’s planes returned to the ship.

from 3314 to 20 knots, there

Entered

was a sudden explosion be-

tween decks. Fires broke out in many places,

At first it was thought

a delayed action bomb had

gone off but it was later established that gasoline vapors

from leaking lines had exploded.

The crew tried to

extinguish the blazes but their fire-fighting equipment had been damaged. For five hours they fought, but

finally the ship was blazing American destroyers pu

almost from stem to stern. lled alongside and tried to

fight the fires with their own pumps and hoses. As the fires gained headway, the carrier's wounded were removed

to the destroyers. Then, her mand, “abandon ship.”

pumps gone, came the com-

* x

Proud Youn

The little fellow strutting along a London street has every reason | fo do so, for his grandfather is prime minister of Great Britain.

g Churchill

BY 400,700 filling stations which will

RUBBER DRIVE OPENS MONDAY

F. D. R. to Touch It oft Tonight With Radio Talk;

Use Gas Stations.

WASHINGTON, June 12 (U. P).| —President Roosevalt today ordered | a 15-day nation-wide scrap rubber collection campaign to begin Monday. The scrap rubber will be collected, he told a press conference,

serve as rubber collection depots. The filling stations will pay one cent a pound for the serap. The campaign was ordered by Mr. Roosevelt to determine the exact size of the nation’s scrap rubber stockpile in order to determine whether nation-wide gasoline rationing is necessary to conserve tires. Urges Extensive Drive Mr. Roosevelt will touch off the! campaign in a five-minute radio address to the nation tonight as! {3:45 p. m. (Indianapolis war time). He told a press conference that he wanted the drive to be intensive, | extending into homes, offices, fac- | tories and farms. The campaign

name is Winston Churchill, and he's 20 months old. With him is his mother, Mrs. Randolph Churchill, whe he is visiting from his evacua-

tion home in the country. His dad,

Capt. Churchill, is a commando.

HAWAIAN ARR CHIEF MISSING

Maj. Gen. Tinker Failed to Return From Attack on Japs Off, Midway.

WASHINGTON, June 12 (U. P).| —Maj, Gen. Clarence L. Tinker | commander of the Hawaiian air force, Is missing in action. He failed | to retum from an attack on the) Japanese fleet off Midway June 7 the war department announced todav. Other members of his flight formation said his plane was last seen descending rapidly toward the sea. The ocean was searched for several! days in the vicinity where he was; last seen by airplanes and surface! craft but no trace of his bomber was found.

SCRAP OLD DERRICKS WASHINGTON, June 12 (U. P). —The war production board has suggested to the petroleum industry war council that scrapping of useless oil well derricks would make! jron and steel available for war industries.

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

23! Jane Jordan ..13 24 Isaacs Clapper ...15 John Love Comics ...,...27 Movies 20 «vs. 24 Obituaries ....12! 18 Oechsner 13] 16 Pattern 138, 16 Pegler «16 22. Radio 21 16 Real Estate ..21 ..21! Mrs. Roosevelt 15 Hold Ev'thing. 18| Serial Story ..27 Homemaking .18 Side Glances 16 In Indpls 3| Society 17, 18, 19 In Services ... 8 Sports ... 23, 2¢ Inside Indpls 18 State Deaths 12 In War Plants 1 :

Eddie Ash ...

Business ooo 18}

Treen

Europe Stirred By Soviet Pacts

The Chicago Daily News, Ine BERN, June 12. — Announcement of defensive alliance and the prom-

| ise in Washington of a second |

front this year stormed European | political observers today at the very time when they were becoming increasingly disturbed by rumors of a possible separate

| peace dividing Russia from her i allies.

The news came as definite confirmation that the positions now

| taken in the world struggle will remain unchanged until and long |

after final victory. The treaty is regarded as a personal success for Soviet Premier Josef V. Stalin.

STORE CHECK DUE

ON PRICE HCE. CEILINGS »

‘OPA to Use 25 25 Agents in

Survey Next Week.

The office of price administra(tion will send 25 investigators into Indianapolis retail establishments next week to learn how they are

{complying on price ceilings.

| Approximately one-fourth of the! | stores in the city will be checked.

State OPA Director James D. Strickland said that data in a na-

tional spot check so far indicates! “only one-third of the retail merchants had ‘cost-of-living’ items

that

posted properly; that about one-| ‘third had prices posted incorrectly and the remaining one-third had! done nothing: about posting the! i prices required.” The OPA does not intend to use {legal action immediately against ‘stores found not complying, Mr. Strickland said, but results of the {check-up will be used as a working ‘basis for enforcement action later, if it is needed. Certain “model” stores will be designated for other merchants and

His |

the Anglo - Russian |

All Kinds of Rubber Wanted

He stressed that the government | wanted not only old tires and ‘tubes, but any article of rubber {that had been discarded or could ‘be discarded—such as jar rings! rubber soled shoes and hot water { bottles. Meantime, a congressional inves- | tigation of the rubber situation and | the problem of nation-wide gas ra-

tioning appeared likely today as | | senators complained that “con- | Ricting statements issued by govjernment agencies” made it difficult | to determine facts. | Senator Francis T. Maloney (D. Conn.) proposed the investigation. offering the services of his special | committee set up last fall to study the threat of an east coast petro{leum shortage.

IT’S SAME OLD STORY: 'MORE RAIN FOR CITY

LOCAL TEMPERATURES

“wi. 68 Joa. mm ...¥3 am...

¥1 12 (noon) .. WV

a.m a mm. ... amo... Sam ... 2

The weather bureau had the same Ms to tell today, the same it’s been for a week: More rain. Officially, the forecast reads, “Thundershowers today and tonight; not much change in temperature.’ ’

THE PROPAGANDA FRONT

Can you always fest nize enemy propaganda when you hear | \ iva Shirer, he nows the propaganda front as few 4 de, will od about this timely and important topic each week for the next few weeks for readers of The Indian.

Naval Aviators Describe

By FRANK

United Press Staff Correspondent PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, June 12.—United States | navy dive bombers and torpedo planes, roaring down on a Japanese fleet while their crews wildly yelled “remember Pearl Harbor,” opened the battle of the Coral sea with a slaughter of ships, it was revealed today, Two naval aviators gave here today by official per-

mission the first eyewitness

miles off Australia which they opened in the dawn of

May 4 with a carrier-based enemy invasion fleet,

They revealed that the enemy losses were even greater than had so far been claimed officially. Navy planes alone sank at least nine enemy ships, including two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, two destroyers and two large transports, and probably sank a

seaplane tender and a third transport, in a brief, merci- | less attack on one harbor base. la » : . Two Are Permitted To Tell Their Stories

THEY SANK more small ships than they could count, leaving the harbor strewn with sunken, sinking, burning and beached ships. : Communiques had claimed that in the entire Coral sea battie, which continued for five days, one Japanese aircraft carrier, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, two destroyers and four gunboats were sunk and one aircraft earrier, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, two seaplane tenders damaged. Two Japanese trans ports and supply ships were announced as sunk and two damaged. Thus the navy planes raised the toll to two heavy cruisers and three light cruisers definitely sunk in addition to any damaged in later phases of the battle. Lieut. Comm. Joe Taylor, Danville, Ill, and Lieut. Comm. Bill

pee [Here [4 [5

The 1st Eyewitness Story of Coral Sea

Crews Began Slaughter of Jap Ships With Cry, 'Remember Pearl Harbor.'

BETTER WORLD

{day that the United States, the So-

Burch, Paducah, Ky. were permitted to tell their stories. They said that in addition to the plane attack, the Japanese received “a larger dose of the same stuff” in the main battle and (Continued on Page Five)

ALLIED CHIEFS NAP 20 FRONT PLANS

General Staffs in Contact On Problems.

LONDON, June 12 (U. P.).—Al-

| lied general staffs are in contact on

“the urgent problem of creating a second front in Europe in 1942," it was understood today. Only a few men in Washington, London and Moscow know when,

‘or even how, the blow will fall

under the agreements reached by Great Britain and the United States with Russia. The British man in the street, and the Russian, interpreted the identic second front announcements here and at Washington at their face value. He expected an

DLO Se Saar by oa te sul by an in-

How U. S. Dive Bomber

TREMAINE

account of that battle 1000

plane attack on a napping

HOPES GROWING

U. S., British and Russia Agreed on Post-War Co-operation.

WASHINGTON, June 12 (U.P) — American officials were confident to-

viet Union, Great Britain and China

—now joined in mutual assistance! agreements—will be able to develop

in forthcoming conversations the basis of a mew and better world after the war. The broad principles already have been set forth in the agreements signed by the United States with those countries. The one with the Soviet Union was signed last night by Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Soviet Ambassador Maxim Litvinov a few hours after the results of the recent conferences between President Roosevelt and Soviet Foreign Commissar V, M. Molotov were announced. The agreements with the three countries are basically the same— (Continued on Page Ei ht)

‘Jap Ship Opened Up Like Volcano'

ABOARD U, 8S. CRUISER IN SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, May 10 (delayed) (U. P.).—An American pilot who fought through the battle of the Coral sea described afterward what happened when a 1000-pound bomb from his plane, hit the flight deck of a Japanese aircraft carrier. “Boy!” he said. “It opened up like a volcano.”

U. S. AGAIN TO SHIP FOOD TO N. AFRICA

WASHINGTON, June 12 (U. P)). —Shipments of American food, clothing and fuel to French North Africa will be resumed soon, Secretary of State Cordell Hull said today

Under the old agreement, which still prevails, American observers

NAZIS ACT TO BEAT 2 FRONT

Seize Initiative in Libya And Russia; Starting Major Push.

By JOE ALEX MORRIS United Press Foreign Editor

The axis seized the initiative at heavy cost in Libya and Russia today in an effort to get Hitler's 1942 offensive moving before the united nations can establish their promised second front in

Europe. Moscow dispatches acknowledged a grave situation on key fighting fronts in Russia despite an estimated 60,000 axis casualties—and no gain—in attacks on the Crimean

naval base of Sevastopol. Late reports said the Germans had been driven back at several points in Crimea. The threat to Sevastopol and enemy attacks on the Kharkov front were obviously increasing and both were directed toward preparing the way for the Germans’ long-heralded major offensive through the Ukraine toward the Caucasus oil fields.

Heavy Toll of Axis Forces

Whether that offensive can be developed on the vast scale that is essential to achieve Hitler's goal of fresh oil supplies remains to be seen, but front line dispatehes to Moscow made it clear that the real crisis on the Kharkov front is yet to come. Meantime, the Russian correspondents reported that a heavy toll was being taken of the Germans in the Ukraine, on the Kalinin front northwest of Moscow and south of Leningrad. In Libya, the Germans had greatly improved their position as the

[result of capture of the British-

Free French strongpoint of Bir Hacheim, southwest of Tobruk, and had advanced some 18 miles northeast to Bir el Harmat.

Rommel Keeps Striking

Although fighting continued over a wide sector and included allied stabs at the enemy’s rear lines, the important development was that Nazi Col. Gen. Erwin Rommel had been able to destroy the British anchor point on the southern sector of the defense line and then concentrate his strength in a triangle aimed at Knightsbridge, south of Tobruk, That greatly alleviated his supply difficulties and created a threat that

(Continued on Page Five) .. 8

On the War Fronts

June 12, 1942

WASHINGTON: Navy reports 15 Jap warships sunk, 20 damaged in two-month Coral sea battles; only 3 U. S. ships lost.

RUSSIA: Germans press offensive operations on Sevastopol and Kharkov front in preparation for summer drive.

LIBYA: Axis forces concentrated in triangle against British at Knightsbridge after capture of Bir Hacheim.

LONDON: V-army blows against axis in Europe predicted by Col. V. Britton, but London military sources doubt that front invasion can be attempted soon.

CHINA: Japanese air squadrons

awe Dosis ‘renewed drive

as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Tnd. Issued daily except Sunday.

rr FINAL

HOME

PRICE THREE CENTS

TRUE TO SEA tradition, the carrier’s commander, Capt. F. S. Sherman, was the last to leave, As he was | sliding down ropes to the water's edge a tremendous blast occurred within the stricken ship. The flames had reached the torpedo lockers. While he was pulling away, another big explosion’ ripped it apart internally, A matter of minutes later it had disappeared. The Lexington’s career had ended, the only American aircraft carrier destroyed thug far in this war. It carried a complement of 1899 officers and men, including flying personnel, at the time it was commis. | sioned and 80 to 90 planes. The Lexington and its sister ship, the Saratoga were the biggest carriers in our fleet, but also the oldest. As warships go, the Lexington was approaching obsolesence,

90 OTHER CRAFT

BADLY MAULED

Enemy Losses: Carrier, 4 Cruisers, 2 Des stroyers, Several Transports; Yank

Losses: Carrier, Destroyer, Tanker.

WASHINGTON, June 12 (U. P.).—The navy, in a final accounting of the two months’ Coral sea campaign, revealed today that more than 15 Japanese ships were sunk, includ. ing an aircraft carrier, while the United States lost three naval vessels, including the big aircraft carrier Lexington, The navy’s summary showed a far greater loss to the Jape anese than previously had been reported. Besides the Lexington, the U. S. navy lost the tanker Neosho and the destroyer Sims. The Japanese casualties, in addition to the ships sunk, included a loss of more than 100 aircraft, the probable sinke ing of two other warships and severe damage to more than 20 ships. The damaged Japanese ships included a carrier, three cruisers, two aircraft tenders and three destroyers. Campaign Began Early in March The navy’s summary, which included attacks by our forces on Salamua and Lae on the island of New Guinea and the actual battle of the Coral sea, listed the following Jape anese vessels as sunk: The new Japanese aircraft carrier Ryukaku; three heavy cruisers; one light cruiser; two destroyers; several transports and small vessels. The U. S. S. Lexington, old but one of the world’s large est aircraft carriers, blew up and sank some time after Japanese aircraft had scored torpedo and bomb hits on her, Nevertheless, 92 per cent of the entire ship’s company, was rescued and reached port safely. The campaign covered in the navy’s communique began early in March when the Japanese were discovered to be concentrating transports and combat ships in Salamaua and Lae, New Guinea, apparently for an assault on Port Moresby on the south coast of the same island. Port Moresby Thrusts Halted Port Moresby is strategically important because it would give the Japanese a vital advance base for further attacks on northern Australia. Actually the Japanese made two attempts to advance to the southward of New Guinea. Our attacks on Salamaua and Lae, and the battle of the Coral sea, disrupted these attempts and prevented a large scale Japanese move against Australia itself, the navy said. The first real engagement of the Coral sea campaign came on March 10 when a number of naval aircraft attached to a Pacific fleet task force, under command of Vice Admiral Wilson Brown, joined shore-based planes in a successful attack on shipping and shore installations at the two Jape anese bases. : In a communique last March 18, the navy reported that more than 20 Japanese ships were sunk or damaged in this attack. The communique at that time described the attacking force as American and Australian island-based forces so as not to reveal to the enemy that our carriers participated, Found Jap Fleet at Anchor Then, in April, army reconnaissance planes reported the enemy again concentrating transports and powerful support elements, including carrier aircraft and shore-based planes, preparatory to an advance into the Solomon and Louisiade islands. These advances actually began in early May and the Japanese seized bases for land planes in both these island groups. This made it possible for the enemy to carry out daily reconnaissance over the entire northern portion of the Coral sea. On May 4 a Pacific fleet task force commanded by Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher discovered a part of the Japanese invasion fleet at anchor in and near the harbor of Tulagi, Florida island, in the Solomon group. Admiral Fletcher caught the Japanese completely be surprise and his forces all but annihilated them. :

A few of the managed to get Wi