SEVERE ATTACK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 80, 5 April 1943, Page 3

SEVERE ATTACK

JAP. CONCENTRATION Three Warships Sunk In Heavy Raid On Kavieng N.Zi.P.A. Special Correspondent SYDNEY, April 4. Flying Fortresses and Liberator bombers sank an enemy heavy cruiser, a light cruiser and a large destroyer in the waters north of Australia on Thursday and Friday. Also they probably sank a 6000-ton merchant ship and inflicted heavy damage on two other destroyers and a 10,000-ton merchant ship. These blows were struck against an enemy concentration in the harbour at Kavieng, New Ireland, and in the waters around the' coast. Heavy simultaneous raids on the Kavieng airfield prevented interference by Japanese fighters. The ships were first sighted in Kavieng Harbour by an Allied reconnaisance plane early on Thursday. They numbered 13 warships, known to include cruisers, and. medium to large merchant ships, totalling about 40,000 tons. At dusk on Thursday, when our big bombers made their flrst attacks, they found that six of the ships had left the harbour and were anchored along the south coast. These vessels were the targets chosen by our bombers. Two heavy explosions occurred on a 10,000-ton merchantman, indicating direct hits, while a 6000-ton merchantman was seen to be settling down by the bows after being straddled with 5001b bombs. This vessel is believed to have been sunk. Damaging near misses were scored against other vessels, but gathering darkness prevented full observation! of the results. Struck Just Before Dawn Details of Friday's attack agaihst; the enemy ships which remained atj Kavieng are given in General MacArthur's communique as follows:—• "Striking just before dawn and taking the enemy largely by surprise, our heavy bombers executed a devastating low-level attack on a warship* concentration in Silver Sound. Aidedi by flares, the attack was pressed home from medium level and masthead height. . , "Four direct hits from skip bombing with 5001b bombs were scored on a light cruiser. The vessel was destroyed and sank immediately. "A heavy cruiser received a direct hit from a high level attack and almost immediately afterwards received three direct hits from a lowlevel attack. The vessel burst into flames from bow to stern and exploded violently, throwing debris 400 feet in the air. It sank rapidly by the bows. "A large destroyer was hit twice amidships and straddled by two other bombs, resulting in a large explosion. The vessel was mortally damaged and sinking. "A direct hit and two near misses were scored on two destroyers moored together, causing at least severe damage. Two other warships, probably destroyers, were bombed, but darkness prevented observation of the results. All our planes returned." The Allied aircraft made a round trip of more than 1000 miles to attack the ships.