ANNIHILATION OF CONVOY COMPLETED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 55, 6 March 1943, Page 5

ANNIHILATION OF CONVOY COMPLETED

JAPANESE DISASTER

Routed In Subsequent Air

Battle

N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent

SYDNEY, Mar. 5.

The sinking of two crippled destroyers at dawn on Thursday completed the annihilation, of the Japanese convoy endeavouring to force a landing at Lae, New Guinea. Four Zeros attempting to drive off our attacking bombers were also destroyed. Three transports which were burning at dusk on Wednesday had gone down over night. The destruction of the latest Japanese warships was not the final chapter in the battle of the Bismarck Sea. A great air battle developed over Lae on Thursday, when 23 Japanese fighters were destroyed or severely damaged, bringing the enemy plane losses during the last three days to more than 90. Allied aircraft have also maintained patrols over the Bismarck Sea and Huon Gulf, where some power barges and lifeboats filled with survivors were discovered endeavouring to reach shore near Finschhafen. The boats were strafed and destroyed with all aboard. Few Troops May Have Landed While it is just possible that a few troops from the wrecked ships have reached New Guinea in small craft, such reinforcements would prove a liability, and not an asset, to the Japanese garrisons already in the area. Their numbers inevitably must be small, and the thousands of tons of stores and equipment which were carried by the big convoy leaving Rabaul on Monday were, perhaps, even more important to .the Japanese in New Guinea than the 15,000 troop reinforcements. There is,' however, no definite report of any convoy survivors having got ashore. "Everything that came into the area has been eliminated," said a General Headquarters spokesman today. "Miles of floating debris and smashed boats and bodies, with great patches of oil, are the only signs of the enemy's proud convoy of 22 ships. Our airmen, sweeping low over the water, saw monster sharks cruising among the wreckage." Allied aircraft kept up their attacks against the enemy personnel =o long as any sizable force remained. The enemy's defeat was to the last man as well.as to the last | boat. i Grimmest Message : One of the grimmest .messages i from our attacking planes was reI early on Thursday morning. I It "In this area, 100 miles east- '• south-east of Salamaua, there were i about 500 men with battle equipment iin the water. There were only 200 i when the aircraft left. Sharks were ! seen around life rafts and boats. ! Some of the heaviest attacks ever : made on the Lae aerodrome marked the end of the convoy battle. Havoc : attack bombers poured 30,000 rounds !of machine-gun fire into grounded ! aircraft and installations. Six fighters caught refuelling were destroyed, together with their fuel truck. Meanwhile, protecting Lockheed I Lightning and Kittyhawk fighters engaged 30 Japanese fighters, which made desperate efforts to break up our attack. Eight enemy planes were destroyed for certain, and nine \ others were probably destroyed. The Allied air forces show no signs of relaxing after their great victory. Other New Guinea objectives attacked on Thursday were the aerodrome at Finschafen and enemyoccupied vilages at the mouth of the Waria River, as well as the aerodrome at Übili, New Britain. North of Australia our medium bombers started destructive fires among large oil supplies on Matkus Island and at Saumlaki, in the Tenimber Group.