JAPANESE BASES ATTACKED

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23916, 7 April 1943, Page 3

JAPANESE BASES ATTACKED

PROLONGED NIGHT RAID ON BUKA

close misses against CARGO SHIP (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 11.10 p.m.) SYDNEY*. April 6. To-day’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters is:—

North-western Sector Dutch New Guinea.— Our medium units bombed the enemy-occupied village of Timika, starting fires. In Sekar Bay our heavy bombers attacked a 4000-ton enemy cargo ship, scoring close misses with 5001b bombs. The damage could not be ascertained.

North-eastern Sector Solomons.—At Buka our medium bombers executed an extended night harassing raid on the aerodrome and adjacent town areas. For three and a half hours our aeroplanes cruised over the target, dropping fragmentation bombs on dispersal bays and the run-

way; and in Chinatown and Kakil numerous intense fires occurred, lasting more than two hours. These appeared to be burning aircraft. Searchlights and anti-aircraft fire of all calibres were encountered. All our aeroplanes returned. New Britain— ln Wide Bay, one of our heavy units bombed and strafed a small enemy surface craft off Zungen point. In Open Bay one of our heavy units bombed Ul?ili village, and the jetty at Ulamona. At Cape Gloucester our heavy bombers twice raided the. aerodrome, bombing and strafing the runway and dispersal area. New Guinea.— At Madang one of our heavy units bombed the aerodrome and building area. At Saidor one of our heavy units strafed villages in the area. One of our heavy units bombed the aerodrome at Finschhafcn. One of our heavy bombers at mid-day raided the aerodrome at Salamaua,

“JAPANESE MOVING IN BURMA”

U.S. AIR COMMANDER’S STATEMENT

LONDON, April 5. “The Japanese are definitely on the move in Burma.” said Colonel Sanders, Commander of the 10th United States Air Force Fighter Group, in New Delhi to-day. “They realise that they must move in to forestall us. This is probably the reason for the recent spurt in Japanese air activity on the border. We will maintain the pressure, monsoon or no monsoon.”

A communique from India reports successful Royal Air Force attacks yesterday on Japanese positions and airfields in Burma. Offensive fighter patrols sank four opt of eight sampans attacked off the Arakan coast. Several enemy aircraft were destroyed in com. bats in the course of. the day One British machine is missing.

Six Royal Air Force Hurricane pilots, including two former schoolmasters, taught 16 Japanese fighters a lesson in the recent fighting on the Arakan front, reports the Air Ministry News Service. In just over 20 minutes they destroyed five enemy aeroplanes, and probably damaged Several others. The British losses were nil. One of the former schoolmasters, Warrant Officer W. H. F. Been (Auckland), said that he got in a long- burst against- one aeroplane from dead astern and it overturned and went straight down. - •

NEW US. AIRCRAFT TYPES

FAST TWIN-ENGINED BOMBER (8.0. W.) , RUGBY, April 8. Medium bombers being produced in the United States include a twinengined machine better than the Focke Wulf and very much faster than any twin-engined machine now in use, according to Sir Roy Fedden, who, with 10 aircraft production engineers, has just returned to England after a three months’ tour of American aircraft factories.

Sir Roy Fedden added that a superheavy bomber was on the way. It was designed to carry a larger bomb load and fly faster and much further than the heaviest British bomber. Divebombers, too, were being built in big quantities. Very, formidable transport aeroplanes, including tank carriers, were coming forward in large numbers, and it was expected that the figure would be more than doubled by the end of the year. Four times as many engines were being made as in Britain. He also expressed satisfaction with the fighters which were being produced. The growth of the United States aircraft industry was tremendous.

FERRYING SUPPLIES TO WAR THEATRES

TWIN-ENGINED FIGHTERS FLOWN OVERSEAS SYDNEY, April 6. Twin-erigined fighters are among the aeroplanes being ferried across vast stretches of ocean under their own power from United States factories to the world’s battle fronts. This has been revealed by Major-General Harold George. Chief of the United States Air Transport Command, who is now visiting Australia. Major-General George took a leading part in perfecting the plans for American daylight bombing attacks on Germany. Outlining the vast expansion of the Ferry Command in all theatres of war. he told, cor respondents here that it was now four times greater than the strength of the entire United States Air Force of four years ago. Ferry Command aircraft were taking personnel and supplies to Allied forces in Britain. Iceland. China. India, Africa, Alaska, and Australia. Combat aeroplanes were also flown to these theatres. . Major-General George claimed that the Ferry Command had done much to stop Marshal Rommel’s drive in Egypt last year. Aeroplanes of the command flew vital anti-tank ammunition from America to Africa in four days.

SPANISH REPUBLICAN REFUGEES

ASYLUM OFFERED IN MEXICO (Rpc. 11 p.m ) LONDON, April 6. The Mexican Government has agreed to accept all Spanish Republican refugees at present in north and west Africa, reports the Algiers radio. More than 3000 of these refugees were in prison camps in Algeria and Morocco at the end of January, but half of them have since been released. The remainder will be released and given the option of going to Mexico. Polish Women fop R.A.F.—Polish women refugees now in Africa are being trained to work as mechanics with the Royal Air Force, says a message from Nairobi. The first batch of Polish women has arrived in Nairobi. —London, April 5.