A JUMP AHEAD

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 187, 10 August 1942, Page 3

A JUMP AHEAD

JAPS. FORESTALLED Australia Heartened By News Of Offensive Special Australian Correspondent United Press Association—-Copyright SYDNEY, Aug. 9. The news of the Allied forces' ! attacks on enemy-occupied south-east i Solomon Islands in the Tulagi area i has been heartening to Australia. | The . comment "It's about time" serves to cover the gratification of j the man in the street that American and Australian forces have at last I moved to an offensive which must | considerably affect Japan's immediate plans in this theatre. 1 The action is generally accepted as having forestalled an anticipated enemy drive on Port Moresby. Meagre details give no indication whether the operations are likely to avert or merely postpone the Japanese attack on Port Moresby. The heaviest bombing raids made I by the Allied air forces on Japanese j bases in the South-west Pacific area ! were obviously part of a co-ordinated j plan of attack. They were intended |to hamper counter-attacks by the j Japanese air strength. Their purpose is confirmed by an Allied Headquarters communique's description | of repeated raids on Rabaul aerodromes as "interdiction attacks." Allies Use 20001b Bombs A Headquarters spokesman, com- ; menting on the Allies' use of 20001b I bombs, remarked: "They were awful ! tough on the runways." These were | the first attacks made on the enemy's main southward base since July 17. | Interception by 20 Zeros was the i strongest enemy fighter force yet I encountered over this base by ! our bombers. Of seven Zeros de- | stroyed, three were shot down in I flames, one blew up in mid-air, one I had its wings shot off and two were j seen spinning down with smoke i pouring from them. j These enemy fighters were all destroyed by our heavy bombers, only one of which failed to return. Fly- ; ins Fortresses have established a fine 1 record against thc-;e speedy, highflying c-nemy fighters. . I The latest communique regarding our fighter attacks in 1 lie BunaKokoda sector is the first reference | made to bomb-carrying fighters in [the South-west Pacific. Kittyhawks, : which have been much used as fighter-bombers in the Middle East, form the main part of the Allied fighter strength in this theatre. nr s