TWO HUNDRED MORE JAP PLANES SMASHED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 218, 14 September 1944, Page 5

TWO HUNDRED MORE JAP PLANES SMASHED

PHILIPPINES RAIDS

All-Day Attacks On Bases In Islands

Js.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. noon. WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. Carrier planes continued their attack against the Philippines on Monday and destroyed 200 Japanese planes, of which 150 on the ground. They also destroyed several cargo ships in all-day raids on Cebu, Negros and Panay Islands. The Pacific Fleet communique, announcing this, says the preliminary reports are fragmentary but air operations are continuing against strong enemy opposition. Numerous smaller craft were sunk, in addition to several cargo ships in the initial attacks. The communique also reports that search planes bombed and strafed Paramushiro on Sunday. The principal targets were waterfront installations along the south coast. Several fires were started. Two medium cargo ships near Paramushiro suffered direct bomb hits and smaller craft were strafed. On the same day Shimushu was bombed by a search plane, and on Monday Mitchells bombed and strafed a number of vessels in Shimushu Harbour, sinking one medium and four small cargo vessels. Two others were damaged. Venturas on the same day bombed and strafed Paramushiro, Araito and Onnekotan, setting fire to docks and warehouses. Liberators on Sunday dropped 26 tons of bombs on airfields in Iwojima, starting large fires. A Catalina bombed an ammunition dump on Nauru on Monday and Corsairs hit storage magazine areas in Jaluit, while Thunderbolts, using bombs and rockets, attacked the Marianas. '■..■■■ -. The United Press correspondent at Pearl Harbour says the wording of the communique suggests that an aerial battle of major proportions is developing over the Philippines archipelago. Apparently the Japanese are building up aerial strength to combat the depredations of Admiral Halsey's carriers, which began with the attacks against the Palau group on September 5.