BASES STRENGTHENED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 172, 3 May 1943, Page 3

BASES STRENGTHENED

ENEMY IN NORXH NEW GUINEA. ATTACKS BY ALLIED PLANES SYDNEY, May 2.

The Japanese are continuing to strengthen their bases along the north New Guinea coast. A medium-sized cargo ship of 5000 tons was probably sunk in the harbour at Manokwari, in the westerly sector of Dutch New Guinea, when it was attacked by an Allied heavy bomber on armed reconnaissance.

“A direct hit and a near miss were scored,” says General MacArthur’s communique to-day. “The vessel appeared to be settling by the stern in spreading oil slick.” This is the first occasion on which Manokwari has been mentioned in the south-west Pacific communique. Slightly to the east, the aerodrome at Nabire on Geelvink Bay, which is on the northern coast on the neck of Dutch New Guinea, was also attacked. Nabire figured for the first time in an Allied communique last week. Over Bima, on Sumbawa Island, south of the Celebes, an Allied heavy reconnaissance unit shot down three out of eight intercepting Zeros. Although damaged, the Allied aircraft returned safely to its base. Another new name appearing in General MacArthur’s latest communique is Reiss Point, on the .Japanese New Guinea, coast supply road between Madang and Finschhafen. The area was bombed. Heavy attacks have also been made on Japanese ground forces entrenched in the Mubo area, 11 miles; inland from Salamaua.

In Stettin Strait, New Ireland, on Friday, a Liberator on reconnaissance bombed a Japanese cargo vessel. The results have not been reported. - Afloat In Box. v The special Australian correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association says that Australian-manned Boston attack aeroplanes have been pounding the Japanese ntrenehed on the summit of Green Hill, in the Mubo district. Heavy attacks were made both on Friday and Saturday, thousands of rounds of ammunition being fired into the enemy fortifications. In Saturday’s attacks 44 strafing runs were made. As one machine followed its bombing attacks with a machinegunning assault, another took its place. ' Green Hill is about a mile ancl a half north-east of the Mubo Tillage, 11 miles south of the Japanese base at Salamaua. Patrol skirmishing has recently been going on in this area ancl the air attacks are designed to assist the operations of the ground troops. “We are proving that aircraft can deliver blows against ground troops under any conditions,” said the officer commanding the attacking units. “We have flown through heavy rain storms to reach Green Hill. We are learning the lesson that ground troops can be blasted from their positions by concentrated bombing and strafing from the air.”

After floating 15 days in an ammunition box 24 by 18 by Win, a Japanese soldier was picked up by an Allied ship. His toes had been eaten off by fish. He was a survivor of the Bismarck Sea. battle when Allied bombers destroyed an enemy convoy of 22 ships. “For days we searched the seas in the area for Japanese survivors.” said the Allied officer who recounted the incident. The soldier m the ammunition box was just about finished when we found him. He was a very small Japanese, but still much too big for the box. His legs had dangled over the side. How he kept alive for 15 days is a mystery. He spoke a little broken English and when the Bismarck Sea battle was mentioned he covered his eyes with his hands and made noises to resemble the roar of aeroplanes.