BOMBER ACTIVITY

ALEXISHAFEN RAIDED

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, November 12,

Maintaining their attacks against Alexishafen, north-east of New Guinea, where 35 Japanese, aircraft were destroyed on Tuesday, our escorted medium bombers encountered no air interception, but destroyed three grounded aircraft. Alexishaf en has been used by the Japanese as a base for bomber attacks against our troops at Finschhafen and on the Huon Peninsula, and on the Nadzab airfield, in the Markham Valley! These bombers come from Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, which is now the enemy's main air base v in the area, following our wholesale destruction of planes on the fields at Wewak, about 170 miles north of Alexishaf en, in the past two months. Hollandia is at present beyond the effective range of escorted bombers from advanced Allied bases in New Guinea. Strong enemy forces have been massed at Alexishaf en in* preference to Madang, 12 miles to the south, which has been under constant, Allied air pressure. ; i ::i General Mac Arthur's latest communique also announces a second, attack by Liberators of the South-west Pacific Command on the Japanese;

naval base at Sourabaya, Java, involving a round trip of more ,than 2000 miles. Twenty-.two tons of bombs were dropped, but ,the weather was bad and the results could not be observed.