KAHILI AIR RAID

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 253, 25 October 1943, Page 5

KAHILI AIR RAID

N.Z. FIGHTERS' PART

FIFTEEN ZEROS DOWNED

(N.z.E.p. Official wear Correspondent) PACIFIC BASE, Oct. 14. Playing a part in the destruction of 15 enemy fighters over the Japanese airfield at Kahili, Bougainville pilots of a New Zealand fighter squadron were in the vast Allied air raid which blasted many targets on the enemy stronghold and started huge fires. More than 130 aircraft took part in the raid, including Army Liberator bombers and luarme Avenger dive and torpedobombers. Fighter cover came from Lightnings, Corsairs and New Zea-Jaixl-piloted Kittyhawks. Kahili airfield, gun positions, supply dumps and buildings constituted targets for the accurate precision bombing of the big Liberators, which left a pall of smoke through which medium bombers went in afterwards. A strong anti-aircraft . defence damaged some of the Allied bombers, and every available Japanese lighter was in the air attacking the striking force unceasingly for 120 minutes. One Liberator, hit by a Zero that had made an almost suicide run through the bomber formation, dropped out. Its crew baled out, but were promptly strafed by the pilot of the Zero. A second Liberator, risking almost certain destruction, dropped down to give protection to the parachuting crew of the first, though it was isolated and heavily outnumbered by the enemy fighters. It was badly shot up, and in crash-landing on an Allied emergency landing field afterwards the pilot and co-pilot were killed. The remainder of the crew were injured. The Allied fighter escort accounted for 15 enemy aircraft without loss to itself. Another Zero crashed after taking off from the neighbouring aerodrome of Kara.