Commentary

Commentary Ocean City Today Dec. 10, 2021 Page 43 Complex report: it’s complicated

Former city councilman and perennial council critic Vince Gisriel asked some pertinent questions this week about the sports complex study commissioned by Ocean City and conducted through the Maryland Stadium Authority.

Essentially, he asked why the report’s public release didn’t occur until last month when the study was completed in January 2020, and why was he told periodically that it wasn’t available?

Those are excellent questions given that the firm that conducted the study, Crossroads Consulting Services, wrote in a letter to the stadium authority that “it is understood that this document may be subject to public information laws and, as such, can be made available to the public upon request.”

To be clear, “may” is the operative word here and means maybe the report is subject to the state’s public information act and maybe it isn’t. Even so, the council’s decision to sit on these findings until now is excessive, although it could be related to the report’s implication that a sports complex anywhere in Worcester County is no slam dunk.

Crossroads lists this area’s advantages and disadvantages as compared to other locations and venues and calls on the council and stadium authority to draw their own conclusions.

It also repeatedly makes the point that timing is of the essence, and the longer it takes to get a complex fully established, the more likely it will face strong regional competition.

Nevermind the difference between the pre- and post-pandemic economies, Crossroads suggests that a major challenge could come from the Mid Atlantic Youth Sportsplex that Berlin’s John Barrett created just up the road in Pittsville. It’s already marketing Ocean City’s amenities, and “is contemplating the expansion of its current facilities to create a 25field complex ...” The report adds, “The growing supply of similar outdoor sports facilities will need to be closely monitored to avoid market saturation.”

Obviously, the council has had quite a bit to think about, hence the delay in releasing the information. Yes, they should have done it sooner, but our guess is it couldn’t happen until the council could agree on what it wanted or needed to say.

Ocean City Today

11934 Ocean Gateway, Suite 6, Ocean City, Md. 21842 Phone: 410-723-6397 / Fax: 410-723-6511.

EDITOR ............................................ Stewart Dobson MANAGING EDITOR................................ Lisa Capitelli STAFF WRITERS .................. Greg Ellison, Greg Wehner, ..........................................Jack Chavez, Mallory Panuska ACCOUNT MANAGERS.......... Mary Cooper, Vicki Shrier ..............................................................Amanda Shick CLASSIFIEDS/LEGALS MANAGER .... Nancy MacCubbin SENIOR DESIGNER ................................ Susan Parks GRAPHIC ARTIST .................................... Kelly Brown PUBLISHER........................................ Christine Brown ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ...................... Gini Tufts

PUBLIC EYE Pot pie, or not pie?

What people eat, or whatever diet they choose to follow is their business, as far as I’m concerned. If someone believes that it’s good for them and the planet to eat a bowl of sugarfree pine cones, topped with a sprinkling of moss scraped off the side of a Mongolian outhouse, or believes that roadkill ‘possum is best if lightly sauteed with just a hint of rosemary, I’m fine with that. But don’t confuse me with all this faux food that’s making its way onto our grocery store shelves in packages that say it’s one thing when it isn’t that at all. And in that regard, I give you “Plant-Based Chicken Pot Pie” in a grocery store near you. Let me be clear: there is no such thing as “plant-based chicken.” Nor, as it happens, is there any such thing as “PlantBased Beef Pot Pie,” which I also saw on the frozen food shelf in a grocery store near me.

The only thing I wanted when I went into this store was a regular, flaky-crust-on-top, pop-it-in-the-microwave, brown-in-oven-ifdesired chicken pot pie. But no.

All I could find was two stacks of “PlantBased Chicken Pot Pies” (and faux beef pot pies) lying in wait for some unsuspecting shopper like me to scoop one up, take it home, heat it up and say, “Hey, where’s the *&!@)_$# chicken?”

And then rummage through the trash for the container it came in only to discover after the fact that I had been hosed by the “chicken not pie” industry. Look, I get it that the vegan set, with whom I have no quarrel, want things that taste like food they used to eat, but won’t eat now for one reason or another. But let’s straighten out this naming business. I know, for instance, that the dairy industry continues to protest the label “Almond Milk” on the grounds that milk is a dairy product and nuts aren’t properly equipped for delivering that sort of thing. They’re wrong, of course, as there is coconut milk, not to mention milkweed, which these days could refer to milk drawn from

By cows that wandered into the wrong field in Stewart Colorado or some other marijuana-legal state and refused to leave because they were espeDobson cially contented. Regardless, there’s no getting around the subterfuge perpetrated on society by the marketers who insist that plant-based chicken is a thing, although if it is, it’s probably the same sort of chicken that laid the non-eggs that are contained in “Egg-Free Eggnog.” That’s on the shelves too these days, although it is clearly a contradiction in terms. To put it more bluntly, if it ain’t got eggs, it can’t be egg nog. It’s just nog. Or they could call it Not-Nog, or Egg-less Nog, but not “Eggfree Eggnog.” All I can say is that I support truth in labeling so I know what I’m getting. In the meantime, I’m urging Congress to write some kind of law that makes clear that a poultry plant is not what chickens are made of.

(Dec. 10, 2021) In celebration of the holiday season, the Ocean City Beautification Committee is presenting a special offer to the public for the committee’s Reflections of Life project.

The project provides a distinctive means of recording important events and interests in the lives of individuals, their loved ones and businesses by placing a gift of a bronze, silver or gold leaf or stepping stone on the “Reflections of Life” bronze tree sculpture mounted inside the lobby entrance of the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on 40th Street.

The Beautification Committee special that runs until the end of December, features leaves at 50 percent off the normal price. For the remainder of the holiday season, order gold leaves for $250, instead of $500; silver leaves, regularly $350, are now $175 and bronze leaves, $250, are $125.

Tax-deductible donation forms are available at two locations in the convention center, at the project site near the main entrance and in the visitor center, along with Northside Park, 125th Street bayside. Forms can also be found on the town’s website at https://oceancitymd.gov/oc/cityhall/mayor-and-city-council/beautification-committee/refelection-of-life/.

Checks should be made payable to the Town of Ocean City. For more information, email Steve Genua at 4str46@gmail.com.

Free admission to OC concert

Continued from Page 36 Ocean City and nearby areas. June Todd and Jenny Anderson are the group’s co-directors. Guest musicians will include Len Rubin, percussionist, and Tom Baione playing string bass.

Admission is free and an offering will be received. After the concert, guests may enjoy refreshments in the church social hall.

The Pine Tones Chorus has been entertaining local audiences in the Ocean Pines and Ocean City areas since 1984. For more information, call the Chorus President Dave Holloway, 410-641-5672, or 610-213-7472.

Funding for Pine Tones Chorus activities comes from a variety of local sources, including individual donations and patrons as well as the Worcester County Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. These organizations are dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.

Wor. Co. seeing slight uptick in covid transmission rates

By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Dec. 10, 2021) As the cold weather of the winter season sets in, covid case rates are once again on the uptick, repeating similar trends as last year when people started gathering together more frequently indoors.

The latest data from the Worcester County Health Department shows that Worcester County’s case rates had jumped from below 5 percent to more than 7 percent in just a couple of weeks. And while the numbers are not completely indicative of high daily case jumps, as state data was not updated over Thanksgiving, local hospital officials are still seeing the effects.

“The increase in cases was anticipated secondary to holiday gatherings and colder weather,” said Heather Snider, the infection prevention manager at Atlantic General Hospital, in an email. “While our team was prepared, the increase impacts our hospital and health system as a strain on resources. We continue to encourage the community to take measures to keep themselves and their loved ones well.”

Snider added that mitigation and containment efforts are important during the winter months especially, and include good hand hygiene, vaccination, masking, avoiding crowded spaces, staying home when sick and getting tested when needed.

With that, Snider said that health officials are still studying the latest Omicron variant, which has been detected on 18 states including Maryland. And while research shows it can be spread by both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, she said the new strain is not looking like a large threat in terms of serious illness at this point. “Currently, symptoms of Omicron are said to be very mild,” Snider said. “Current immunizations continue to prevent severe cases and hospitalizations in vaccinated individuals. Delta remains the prevalent variant, so much more research is needed to fully understand Omicron and its overall impact.”

Weekly vaccine info: • As of Thursday, Maryland providers administered more than 9.69 million covid-19 vaccines for a total of 82.9 percent of residents five and older with at least one dose. • As of Wednesday, a total of 64.09 See COVID-19 Page 45

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By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Dec. 10, 2021) There is a light at the end of the tunnel for removing a statewide school mask mandate, and it hinges on high vaccination and low covid transmission rates.

On Tuesday, members of the state board of education voted to publish an emergency order that would implement “off ramps,” or points of exit, to allow local districts to lift indoor mask mandates if specific thresholds are met.

Board members voted 12 to one to pass the order, which moves it to a General Assembly committee for final approval. If it passes, it would replace the current emergency order requiring face coverings for everyone inside school buildings set for expiration Feb. 25.

“The proposed regulation implements procedures to end face coverings based on vaccination status and case numbers of the county,” State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudury said during the meeting.

The order maps out three pathways for de-masking, which are listed as follows:

Pathway 1: Allows district officials to lift mask mandates in individual schools if they meet an 80 percent vaccination rate for students and staff members.

Pathway 2: Allows the board of education to lift mask mandates for all schools if the county’s vaccination rate is at or above 80 percent.

Pathway 3: Gives the county superintendent authority to lift the mask mandate if the health department reports 14 consecutive days of low or moderate countywide transmission rates.

Choudury said that the pathways were developed based on data and information from other states that have implemented them.

For example, he said officials in Massachusetts have implemented the 80 percent vaccination pathway to be able to successfully remove masking requirements at 30 schools. He said the change has not caused an increase in cases and resulted in healthy children who are excited to learn in person.

In Nevada, officials have implemented the transmission rate thresholds, which he said have also been successful.

While Maryland officials could have chosen just one or two options, Choudury said it made more sense to offer all three.

“That’s how we have constructed it, three pathways to get there,” he said. “ … Transmission rates can drop; you don’t have to necessarily get vaccinated, but there is strong correlation around counties who are dropping transmission rates while the population is highly vaccinated. But you could not. You could just make sure you are staying home when you are sick, make sure you’re in well-ventilated areas, make sure you are doing all of the layered strategies and you can get there as a community.”

In Worcester County, according to the latest health department data, the Covid-19 data by the numbers

PHOTO COURTESY WORCESTER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Members of the Maryland Board of Education approved an emergency order this week to provide three-tiered “off ramps” for eventually lifting the statewide school mask mandate. The order is awaiting final approval from a General Assembly committee.

See WCPS Page 46

Continued from Page 44 percent of the county’s population had received at least one covid vaccine and 70.29 percent were fully vaccinated. • Atlantic General staff members administered 200 shots since last week. • Atlantic General Hospital hosts vaccine clinics from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at its pharmacy in the main lobby of the hospital. All three types of vaccines are offered. • The Worcester County Health Department also holds vaccine clinics weekly. For more information, visit worcesterhealth.org/protectmenu/1726-worcester-county,-mdcoronavirus-covid-19 information-2020

Weekly covid numbers: • According to the latest data form the Worcester County Health Department, the county’s covid-19 positivity rate was 7.48 percent. • The state’s positivity rate was 5.13 percent according to the local data. • Atlantic General Hospital reported nine covid in-patients this week. None of the patients were fully vaccinated and their ages ranged from 29 to 80. Of the total, four have been there longer than the required quarantine time due to a need for ongoing treatment. • Worcester County has reported 125 covid deaths since March 2020. • According to the state health department website, as of Wednesday, 58 people in Worcester County schools — both public and private — had tested positive for covid. Buckingham Elementary had 23, Stephen Decatur Middle had 18, Stephen Decatur High had seven, Berlin Intermediate School had four, and Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, Snow Hill Elementary, and Showell Elementary all had two cases each. According to an online tracking system that Worcester County Public Schools updates weekly, the local district reported 41 new covid cases from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.

Info from Gov. Larry Hogan; the Maryland Department of Health; Atlantic General; Worcester County Health Department; and the CDC. * The positivity rates are determined by a population percentage and do not necessarily reflect the number of confirmed cases as compared to areas with different populations.

PAGE 46 WCPS not able to de-mask yet

Continued from Page 45 covid case rate was 7.48 percent, which is considered a substantial risk. According to Atlantic General Hospital officials, the percentage of county residents who were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday was 64.09 percent. In turn, the county does not meet the necessary thresholds.

“At this time, Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) does not meet any of the criteria to qualify for the ‘off-ramps’ from the face covering requirements in school facilities,” Carrie Sterrs, the district’s coordinator of public relations and special programs, said in an email. “However, officials will continue to closely monitor the data points set forth in the proposed regulation and will develop a strategy to address the off-ramps in the event that WCPS nears eligibility.”

At Worcester Preparatory School, which as a private institution is not required to follow the state guidelines, Head of School John McDonald said Wednesday that the board of trustees is set to meet next week to discuss details of the mask mandate. He added that Worcester Prep officials monitor the state’s metrics and advice and take those assessments into account when making decisions.

School reps highlight need for competitive teacher pay, small classes, technology

Students going into ninth grade in Sept. eligible for Sara Chase Carlson award

By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Dec. 10, 2021) In order to offer the best educational experience, a school district must attract and retain quality teachers and support staff.

That was the main takeaway gleaned from the budget wish lists representatives from all 14 Worcester County Public Schools presented Tuesday to members of the board of education.

“It’s very important for Worcester County to retain and recruit and hire the best teachers, and to find a way to give the teachers a step and pay raise,” Stephen Decatur High School representative Colby Phillips said during the meeting. “… I do acknowledge that we are the highest in local funding and that is appreciated, however the time and commitment put into teaching our children needs to be compensated at the highest level.”

While generous, competitive teacher salaries are always at the top of the wish lists, representatives pointed out that the added stress of covid-19 over the past two school years have highlighted staff’s hard work and dedication, thus further justifying the need for better pay.

“I can assure you that your teachers are working harder than ever,” Worcester County Teachers Association President Beth Shockley-Lynch said during the meeting. “They are dealing with more obstacles than they ever imagined, they are trying to manage the stresses the children are coming to school with. They’re working with our families that have different needs as a result of the pandemic and they are constantly assessing the needs of our kids as they continue to learn. You all know there’s so much more to teaching than just a book.”

Each year, members of the school board hold a public meeting to hear from school and organization representatives, and the public, to develop the annual budget.

Carrie Sterrs, the district’s coordinator of public relations and special programs, said in an email that officials will use the comments received from a parent survey conducted in

MALLORY PANUSKA /OCEAN CITY TODAY Willie Brown, a representative from Pocomoke Elementary School, speaks to members of the Worcester County Board of Education about budget priorities for the school during a meeting held Tuesday to gauge public feedback on the school district’s fiscal 2023 finances.

See DISTRICT Page 47

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Wor. Prep taking scholarship apps

(Dec. 10, 2021) Worcester Preparatory School is currently accepting applicants for the Sara Chase Carlson Scholarship for students entering the ninth grade in September 2022.

A student will have the opportunity to join the WPS community, which is recognized for its high academic standards, small classes, individual attention and strong sense of community. A need-based, four-year high school scholarship covering tuition is available for a new student – a value of more than $64,000 over four years.

A recent graduate, Damiana Colley, achieved the Sara Chase Carlson Scholarship and joined the school in the ninth grade. Upon graduating in May of 2020, Colley moved on to attend the University of Maryland.

“I was looking to this scholarship as a way for me to prepare for the future,” she said at that time. “Winning the scholarship was so great for me. It has given me so many opportunities and experiences that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere. I’ve been exposed to so many different and unique things because of it. It’s let me pursue my art much further than I ever expected.”

Selection is based on the following criteria: • new student entering the ninth grade • strong academic ability • strength in the arts and/or technology • demonstrated financial need

Application deadline is Feb. 5, 2022. For more information about the Sara Chase Carlson Scholarship, contact the WPS Admissions Office at 410-641-3575 or email admissions@worcesterprep.org.

District officials developing FY23 budget for March vote

Continued from Page 46 November and information collected during Tuesday’s meeting to help shape the upcoming 2023 budget, which will go into effect July 1.

Board members will hold a work session in early February to develop the details of the budget before voting on it in March. At the same time, officials will be finalizing negotiations with members of the Worcester County Teachers Association and Worcester County Education Support Personnel Association.

“Our proposed budget then goes before the county commissioners, as they are our primary funding agency, where our budget becomes a portion of their budget approval process,” Sterrs explained.

Vince Tolbert, the chief financial officer of Worcester County Public Schools, presented preliminary numbers for both cost of living and step increases for staff during Tuesday’s meeting, but said that the numbers will not be finalized until the budget is developed.

Besides teacher salaries, representatives asked officials to maintain small class sizes, continue supporting technology funding, finance necessary capital improvements, and support after-school and early programs, among other requests.

Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, parents and guardians participated in an anonymous survey to help district officials develop their budgetary priorities. The online questionnaire solicited comments on things like the quality of educational programs and support services, and the school improvement process. Parents were asked to indicate which school or schools their child or children attend and their races and ethnicities to specify the results.

A total of 1,963 responses were received from a potential pool of 3,651 households, giving an overall return rate of 53.7 percent. While the survey was not completed for the 2020-21 school year because of covid, the percentage of responses this year exceeded years past, with just 48 percent of households responding in 2019, 52 percent in 2018, and 42, 43 and 41 percent response rates in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

According to the 2021 results, favorability ratings were high in nearly every category, with percentages pretty closely mirroring those calculated in 2019 in most instances.

“As you can see, we’re doing really well,” Sterrs said while presenting the results of the survey during Tuesday’s meeting.

The results showed that instructional programs and services remained about even in most cases, with only early childhood education, health, physical education and technology education dropping by just a couple of percentage points since 2019. On the other hand, library and media, science, special education, and world languages programs went up slightly in favorability. All of the programs received 95 percent or higher ratings.

The results showed that in a series of open-ended responses, several parents expressed a desire to see the world and foreign languages program expanded to include more languages and offerings.

The parents who responded to the survey also gauged supplemental program favorability, which remained in the low 90th percentiles in most cases with only athletic programs dropping to 87 percent from 89 in 2019.

Support services such as meal planning, guidance and health were also deemed as favorable in 2021 as in 2019, along with school grounds and facilities, with the numbers relatively high in all categories.

As for budget priorities, the survey results showed that parents ranked small class sizes, competitive teacher salaries, and high levels of achievement the highest, while renovating or rebuilding aging facilities and afterschool programs ranked lowest.

Remembering destruction of Force Z in S. China Sea

By Sam Ghaleb Contributing Writer (Dec. 10, 2021) Today, 80 ago, the Royal Navy suffered its worst naval defeat in World War II, when Japanese aircraft flying from Saigon, Indochina, attacked Force Z in the South China Sea, off the Malayan coast.

Force Z included the most modern battleship in the Royal Navy, the HMS Prince of Wales, the battle cruiser HMS Repulse and the destroyers Electra, Express, Vampire, Tenedos.

In an aerial attack that lasted a little more than two hours, both the Prince of Wales and the Repulse were sunk with heavy loss of life. With these capital ships sunk, the Japanese invasion fleet that was proceeding toward the Malayan east coast was now unopposed. The Japanese Twenty-Fifth Army, commanded by Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, landed and proceeded to conquer Malaya, culminating in the capture of the great city of Singapore, the crown jewel of the British Empire in the Far East. The surrender of the British Empire troops in Singapore in February 1942, was the greatest defeat the empire suffered in its history.

In the fall of 1941, the British government decided that the threat of war with Japan required reinforcement of the Eastern Fleet. The Royal Navy understood that aircraft could prove lethal to warships. The British carrier attack on the Italian naval base at Taranto sank or damaged several battleships. Carrier aircraft had similarly wounded Bismarck in May 1941, leaving her helpless against British battleships.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 1941, sank or heavily damaged eight battleships. But these situations had involved either stationary targets, or combined operations that included both aerial and surface assets. It was not wholly unreasonable to believe that modern battleships with a lot of antiaircraft guns, modern high-angle fire control directors, moving at high speed in the open sea, could resist and survive an attack by aircraft.

Much of the British appreciation for the effectiveness of air power against warships came from their experience fighting in the Battle of Crete in April 1941. German air power had a devastating effect on the Royal Navy, Continued on Page 48

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Continued from Page 47 sinking several cruisers and destroyers.

Other attacks in the Mediterranean, launched by both German and Italian aircraft, had proven similarly effective. However, the air attacks had not destroyed any battleships. Several battleships sustained damage from German bombing attacks, but none were in danger of sinking.

British estimates of Japanese capabilities also played a role. The Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy both seriously underestimated the effectiveness of Japanese aircraft and aviators before the start of the Pacific War. Despite having a relatively backward economy, the Japanese aviation industry “peaked” at exactly the right time, providing world-class aircraft in 1941 and 1942.

The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) combined these aircraft with rigorously trained pilots, resulting in the world’s most effective anti-shipping force at the end of 1941. While the British expected the Japanese to perform below German standards, Japanese aircraft and pilots actually outdid their German allies.

The Prince of Wales and Repulse arrived in Singapore in early December 1941. The Japanese had noted the arrival of the two even before hostilities began. In response, the IJN deployed two of its own fast battleships, three heavy cruisers, and eight destroyers to the Malaya theater, and increased the number of available fighters and bombers in the area.

On Dec. 1, 1941, the Royal Navy announced that Sir Tom Philips had been promoted to full admiral and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Fleet. Under his command in Singapore, beside the Prince of Wales and Repulse there were three old light cruisers; one modern light cruiser; one heavy cruiser, the Exeter, that suffered heavy damage during the Battle of River Platte against the German Pocket Battleship Admiral Graf Spee in December 1939.

The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese high altitude bombers attacked Singapore. The Prince of Wales and Repulse responded with heavy antiaircraft fire. No planes were shot down and the ships suffered no damage. On the same day, Gen. Yamashita’s TwentyFifth Army made landings on Kota Bharu, effectively starting the invasion of Malaya.

After Adm. Philips received the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese landings in Malaya, he was pressed to use his main striking power in an offensive way. Four factors entered into his decision: he thought that Japanese aircraft could not operate so far from land; he also believed that his fast capital ships were totally immune to air attack; he didn’t believe air cover was needed from the Royal Air Force; and he underestimated the quality of Japanese aircraft, torpedoes and the fighting abilities of Japanese aviators.

On Dec. 1941, Adm. Philips departed Singapore with his Force Z. The next day, Japanese scout planes sighted Force Z. A few hours later the Japanese submarine I-65 sighted the British force and transmitted sighting reports which were received at The Japanese 22nd Air Flotilla headquarters in Saigon, Indochina.

Vice-Adm. Jisabur Ozawa, the commander of the Japanese invasion fleet, was anticipating a strong British reaction to the landings on the east coast of the Malayan peninsula. He received additional four heavy cruisers, a light cruiser and four destroyers to his fleet.

In total, he possessed a very formidable force consisting of two battleships, seven heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and 12 destroyers. This force was more than a match for Force Z to contend with. Vice-Adm. Ozawa and his battle force sailed south to find and intercept Force Z.

After his force was sighted by the Japanese scout plane, Adm. Philips decided to cancel the sortie believing that he had lost the element of surprise and ordered Force Z to return to Singapore. On the return, his force was spotted by the Japanese submarine I-58 which fired five torpedoes at Force Z, all of which missed. She also sent sighting reports that was received at the headquarters of the 22nd Air Flotilla.

On Dec. 10, the Japanese decided to launch air strikes at Force Z. From air bases around Saigon, 34 torpedo bombers, 51 high altitude bombers and three scout planes were launched. Adm. Philips was in much deeper trouble that he thought. Due to the tropical climate in the area, the high angle radars on the Prince of Wales and Repulse became useless. His 2pounder antiaircraft ammunition was deteriorating. This rendered his antiaircraft guns almost ineffective, and he was out at sea with no air cover.

The aerial attack commenced a little after 11 a.m., on Dec. 10. High altitude bombers spotted the Repulse and dropped their bomb load. They scored one hit and seven near misses. Forty minutes later, 17 torpedo bombers attacked both the big ships, scoring one torpedo hit on the Prince of Wales. The water gushing into her caused an 11-degree list and damaged much of her auxiliary electric power.

This hit affected the handling of the 2-pounder antiaircraft ammunition and her speed dropped to 15 knots. At 12:20 p.m., another group of 26 torpedo bombers attacked the Prince of Wales and scored three more torpedo hits. At the same time, the Repulse was attacked by torpedo bombers from both sides. She managed to avoid 19 torpedoes but was hit by one on the port side.

Minutes later another group of torpedo bombers scored three more hits on the Repulse. She was in serious trouble, and her captain gave the order to abandon ship. At 12:33 p.m., the Repulse rolled over and sank with heavy loss of life. Eleven minutes later, a high altitude bomb penetrated amid ship and exploded, causing many casualties on the Prince of Wales.

Adm. Philips gave the order to abandon ship at 1:18 p.m. She rolled over and sank, with heavy loss of life. Realizing the battle was lost, Adm. Philips decided to go down with his flagship. The sinking cost the Royal Navy 840 lives - 513 from the Repulse and 327 from the Prince of Wales

So, ended the Naval Battle of Malaya, as the Japanese called it. The Japanese lost four aircraft and 28 pilots and crew. Their aircraft launched 49 torpedoes. Eight found their mark.

Both the British and the United States watched in awe the result of this battle. Both then realized the day of battleships and battle cruisers was at end. Any capital ship would have no chance against air attacks without air cover. It is air power that is going to dominate any engagement in the future.

Next week: The Red Army Strikes Back