RAIDS BY WARHAWKS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 64, 16 March 1944, Page 3

RAIDS BY WARHAWKS

EFFECTIVE DIVE-BOMBING N.Z. PILOTS IN THE PACIFIC N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent BOUGAINVILLE, Mar. 15. Getting right into the swing of their new assignment as divebombers, Royal New Zealand Air Force fighters have been out daily to plaster either Rabaul or the big Vunapope supply area near the Rapopo airfield. Shattered and blazing buildings bear eloquent testimony to the destructiveness of their attacks. The weather over the targets has been clear and the Warhawks have been able to land their bombs squarely among buildings and in the wharf areas.

i The bombing results are stated : officially to be excellent. In one raid, the New Zealanders flew through rain squalls, thunder and lightning to reach their target. They encountered the same conditions on the return trip, but the weather over the target was in their favour. They unloaded their bombs in the centre of the town and just inland from the wharves, where there is a large assembly area. Anti-aircraft fire thickened as the last of the raiders came in. None of the New Zealand aircraft suffered any damage. One squadron made its bombing dive on a street along the north shore of Simpson harbour. Two bombs hit squarely on crossroads in the centre of the town, one scored a near miss on a jetty and others exploded on both sides of a main road, doing considerable damage to the wharf and stores. Vunapope, which is set in a coconut plantation and jungle, was bombed two days running. Buildings were blasted and two bombs were seen to hit a large wharf. One of the attacking squadrons sighted a few Zeros, but these did not attempt to interfere.