SIXTEEN DOWNED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 122, 5 March 1942, Page 5

SIXTEEN DOWNED

BOMBERS ATTACKING WARSHIPS AMERICAN TOLL OF ENEMY. ATTACKS MADE IN WAVES. (United Press Association—Copyright.) WASHINGTON. March 4.

A Navy communique announced that United States .warships and aircraft shot down 16 Japanese bombers in the course of recent operations west of the Gilbert Islands, losing only two of their own aircraft.

A task force of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of an aircraft-carrier, cruisers and destroyers, was attacked in two waves by 18 bombers operating in two groups of nine eacii. In spite of the severity of the Japanese attacks, the United States warships were net damaged. One American fighter pilot shot down six bombers single-handed. The attacks on the American Naval Forces occurred *late in the afternoon and were timed half an hour apart The Japanese formation was closely anc! vigorously engaged by our carriers, fighters and planes, also by anti-air-craft fire from the ships of the task force. Only three enemy planes of the first formation reached their bombing release point over the aircraft-carrier, which avoided all bomb hits by split second manoeuvring. The leading bomber in this group attempted a crash landing on the carrier’s deck and reached homo release point. In this instance the salvo of bombs was closer to the carrier than in the first attack, but again no hits were obtained. There was no damage to our surface forces. Two of our fighters were lost, but one pilot was recovered.