WITHOUT CEASING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 35, 20 November 1943, Page 3

WITHOUT CEASING

AIR WARFARE IN THE PACIFIC. RECENT BLOWS BY ALLIES. THE ENEMY MORE ACTIVE. (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) SYDNEY, November 19. The Japanese Air Force has been more active in the northern Solomons. Early on Wednesday morning Allied shipping was attacked by enemy raiders, three of which were shot down. One small Allied vessel was lost and some casualties were suffered. Meanwhile the Allied air forces maintain their incessant attacks on Japanese aerodromes and shipping throughout the entire South-west and South Pacific area.

To-day’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters announces:

“A Japanese 1500-ton cargo ship and a corvette were beached, a total loss, in a raid by a Dutch-manned Mitchell bombers, on the Tenimber islands; five coastal vessels were damaged and two barges sunk off Dutch New Guinea; two coastal vessels were damaged off Gasmata, New Britain; four barges were sunk and a coastal vessel damaged off Kieta., on Bougainville island; six Japanese planes were shot down over Wewak, north-east New Guinea, when a strong force of Zeros were encountered by Allied Lightning fighters; two of which were lost; enemy airfields at Buka, northern SAlomons, were damaged by 60 tons of bombs and by shelling from Allied naval units.” The naval units referred to were probably destroyers. Other blows by United States Air Forces in the Pacific are reported from Pearl Harbour. Liberator bombers again attacked the Japanese base on Jaluit, in the Marshall Islands, on Thursday, starting large fires on an airfield, .says an announcement from the headquarters of Admiral Chester Nimitz. Jaluit was also attacked on Monday, when one enemy ship was set on fire and three others probably hit. On Wednesday, Liberators raided Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands. All the United States planes returned. Before dawn on Wednesday, Japanese planes bombed Funafuti, in tlie Ellice Islands, killing two Americans and damaging several grounded aircraft.