RAID ON DUTCH NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23945, 12 May 1943, Page 3

RAID ON DUTCH NEW GUINEA

BIG FIRES STARTED | AT ENEMY BASE j JAPANESE AGAIN ATTACK I MILLINGIMBI ISLAND (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 11. In a daring night sweep over Babo. | the important enemy base in Dutch j New Guinea, Catalinas bombed the wharf and aerodrome areas to such I good effect that on the airfield alone j 20 separate fires, believed to be blazing aeroplanes, were caused. Fires started when oil tanks were hit were visible 80 miles away. | One explosion shook Catalinas Hying i at 6000 feet. The damage is believed I to have been considerable. On the way home after the long ] round trip from their base, the Catalinas strafed the enemy base at Dobo and a coastal vessel off Kaimana. To-day’s communique also reports a number of attacks by our heavy bombers on armed reconnaissance. Four Japanese aeroplanes raided Allied positions at. Milne Bay and Mappi Post, in New Guinea, but did no damage. j Five Spitfires and one Bcaufighter shot out of action three of nine Japanese fighters which made a fresh attack on the new Allied airstrip on Millingimbi Island. 300 miles east of Darwin, on Monday morning. They damaged two other Japanese aeroplanes. One Spitfire was lost, but the pilot is safe. This second enemy attack on Milhn-1 gimbi is reported in General MacArthur’s communique to-day. The Spitfires were forced to go into action while actually making height, putting them under a great disadvantage, so that their performance in driving off the raiders is regarded as a distinct achievement. Only slight damage was caused when the airstrip was strafed by Zeros. A few hours later three Zeros ineffectually attacked -an Allied convoy off the coast in the same area. They were driven off by the ships’ antiaircraft fire. One Zero was damaged.

FLIGHT OVER SOIIRABAYA

RECONNAISSANCE BY U.S. BOMBERS (Rce. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY. May 11. American-manned Liberator bombers operating from the Australian mainland made the flight over Sourabaya, in Java, which was mentioned briefly a few weeks ago. Some details of this, the longest reconnaissance flight ever made over enemy-occupied territory in the south-west Pacific, have now been released. The round trip was more than 3000 miles. The specially, selected crews which manned the aeroplanes had previously taken part in raids on distant enemy bases ranging from Buin, in the northern Solomons, to Kendari, in Celebes. Telling the story of the flight to Sourabaya, which is the most important naval base in the Dutch East Indies, officers of the giant fourengyted bombers said that they struck the chain of the Indies at Flores, west of Timor, and continued crossing enemy-occupied islands to Bali, from which point they flew north-west of Sourabaya. For almost 24 hours they had to battle against hepd winds. Extra fuel tanks had to be fitted for the journey. so the aeroplanes carried no bomb load. “When we came over Sourabaya we must have taken the enemy by surprise,” said one pilot. “It was some time before anti-aircraft guns opened up against us. But we were not bothered by the fire.” The results of the reconnaissance have not been revealed.

HOKKAIDO SHELLED BY SUBMARINE

TOKYO RADIO REPORT LONDON, May 10. The Tokyo official radio has announced that an Allied submarine shelled the neighbourhood of Horobetsu, a village on the south-eastern coast of Hokkaido Island, last night. , Shells landdd in a field and caused no damage or casualties. Hokkaido is the second largest island of the chain constituting the Japanese homeland.

BRITISHAMERICAN AIR OFFENSIVE

STATEMENT BY NEW U.S. COMMANDER (8.0.W.)' RUGBY, May 10. “I think it is a wonderful idea that the British should have aeroplanes for night bombing and that we .should have aeroplanes for high-level precision day bombing. They form the greatest team ever built,” said Lieu-tenant-General J. L. Devers, the new United States commander in the European theatre, on his arrival in London from Washington, via Iceland. “I have but one purpose,” he said. “It is to do all I can to win the war in the shortest possible time.” Lieu-tenant-General Devers. who is an armoured warfare expert, announced that his chief-of-staff would be an air officer, Major-General Edwards,

BOMBER’S LONG SERVICE

JAVA CAMPAIGN AND NEW GUINEA (Special Australian Corresp.. N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 11. Few aircraft in the war have a more varied history than “Mortimer.” a Mitchell medium bomber in service with the American forces in the south-west Pacific. “Mortimer,” who took a hand in the sinking of two Japanese ships off Madang during the week-end, was originally flown in combat in the Java campaign. With other aircraft, it came to Australia after the fall of Batavia, later participating in the spectacular raid on the Philippines. It was the first medium bomber ever to make the round trip from Australia to the Philippines. In the Coral Sea battle “Mortimer” sank a destroyer and a cargo ship. It has shot dowm several Zeros and still takes part in all actions. “I would not trade him for the newest ’plane in New Guinea,” says his proud pilot. “Old Mortimer is still the fastest and most dependable ’plane in our outfit.” “Mortimer's” fame has spread to the United States, where the manufacturers feature a picture of it in their advertisements.

OFFER BY PAPUAN NATIVES

(Special Australian Corrcsp., N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 7 p.m t SYDNEY. May 11. Natives living 300 miles from Port Moresby have written to a general near their area seeking an opportunity to subscribe to Australian war loans. The letter reads; “We have heard that Mr Curtin is appealing tor the third Liberty Loan. We feel that such loans must not be raised by the people of Australia alone, but by Papuans as well. We are grateful for the sacrifices of the Australians in defending our land. There are many natives who would be willing to lend their wages if this could be arranged by plantation managers. At present a lot of money is being wasted in gambling which could be used in the war."