Allies Hammering Jap. Air Bases

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 83, 9 April 1942, Page 7

Allies Hammering Jap. Air Bases

IN TROPICAL ISLANDS

Will Enemy Be Hurled Out Or Bleed Other Vital Fronts?

United Press Association.—Copyright.— Received 2 p.m.)

SYDNEY this day. M he S \ d ' ney M° rnin * war correspondent at Port Moresby, in New Guinea, quoting an authoritative source, says: It might not be long before the Allies' aerial offensive north of Australia become, an aerial crusade to drive the enemy from his scattered holdings in the Pacific islands. The increase in Allied air power is noticeable every day, while that of the enemy shrinks daily.

Up to Monday the Allies had destroyed or seriously damaged at least 157 Japanese aircraft in a month over a front ranging from I imor to New Britain.

We are rapidly approaching the time when the Japanese will have to decide whether they will be hurled out of the islands which they have occupied or are willing to bleed other vital fronts of air power in an effort to safeguard their meagre gains north of Australia. Already we have the paradoxical position of the attacking Japanese being forced to confine all their operations to defensive tactics, and the defending Allied forces using their major strength in offensive operations."

. ! £ a "V n Ut ° Timor, as well as Lae, on the north-east coast of New* Guinea, were attacked by Allied planes yesterday. k *i! a y i° n 9 J" to,d in a communique issued to-day by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, in Melbourne. A I LT' Jf ,k 38 BC ° r , e f, ° n or » ix grounded enemy fighters at Lae, and this was followed by a fire. Further hits were also made on grounded bombers, but the results could not be assessed. A Japanese Zero fighter, which attempted interception was caught in concentrated fire from the Australian bombers and shot down.

In the attack on Koepang, Japanese fighters three times attempted to prevent the bombers reaching their objective, but despite this the attack was carried through. Bombs were dropped in the target area.

returned m eße °P erat '°ns one Australian aircraft has not