SHIPPING AT RABAUL

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23985, 28 June 1943, Page 5

SHIPPING AT RABAUL

INCREASED JAPANESE FORCES ALLIED AIR RAIDS (Special Australian Corresp., N.Z.P.A.) (Ree, 9.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 27. The concentration of Japanese shipping in Rabaul harbour now includes a small converted aircraft-carrier. Latest reconnaissance also shows 170 aeroplanes on the Rabaul airfield network. This figure shows a slight increase on the numbers recently sighted. It is possible that the carrier has been used to ferry aircraft to this key enemy base. The Japanese shipping concentration at Rabaul, including the warships, remains substantially unchanged. Aircraft concentrations at Vunakanua aerodrome and the Rabaul dock installations were again attacked by General MacArthur’s heavy bombers in a raid before dawn on Saturday. More than 20 tons of high explosives and incendiaries were dropped. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered. Two Allied bombers are missing. To-day’s communique makes no specia ■ ___ _ ~~ mmA}l A A A

fic claims of damage inflicted. An Australian Beaufort bomber on Friday scored a near-miss on one of three iOOO-ton Japanese vessels in a convoy between New Britain and tne northern Solomons. The destroyer was escorting merchantmen, which appeared to be heading in the direction of Bougainville Island. The Beaufort attacked 65 miles south-south-east of Cape St. George, in the Rabaul area, Lae, in northern New Guinea, has been under heavy attack by AUied medium bombers but dense smoke prevented an accurate assessment ox damage. The Madang and Fmschhaven areas were also raided m the last 48 hours. Offensive activity by General MacArthur’s bombers m this period has been limited, and there are no reports of Japanese air activity. North of Australia enemy aerodromes at Penfoei and Dilli, on Timor, have been attacked. Fires were started in * h |he S Sl'?t a fhf iir i. ProductiveMj many strange incidents. Here which occurred recently- in New G When he parachuted at fcetfrom a bomber on a night flight. Staff Sergeant James Lott, a radio enginee , drifted through a snowstorm, tie landed in some of New Guinea p worst jungle country. After two days walking he met some natives, though he was carried part of the way it took Staff-Sergeant Lott seven days before he reached a small air strip where he was picked up by a Piper Cub scout aeroplane and taken to hospital. A Japanese medium bomber ana a Piper Cub were involved in a strange dogfight over New Guinea this week. Neither won, but the honours went to the Piper Cub, which was piloted by Captain Gilbert Portmore, of Massachusetts, a United States airman. Each time the bomber dived Captain Portmore turned the Piper Cub underneath it eo that the bigger aeroplane overshot its mark. Eventually Captain Portmore landed on a, beach where a native quickly dragged his small aeroplane into the shelter of some coconut palms. Cheated, the Japanese bomber new off. Captain Portmore has just been awarded the D.F.C. for 50 operational missions against the enemy.

ATTACKS BY U.S. AIRCRAFT ENGAGEMENTS IN PACIFIC WASHINGTON, June 25. • The United States Navy Department says that on Thursday, June 24, Wildcat fighters strafed a Japanese barge south-east of Vangunu Island, In the New Georgian group. On Friday four Japanese bombers unsuccessfully attacked a United- States light surface unit in the Solomon?, ‘ Also on Thursday Liberators, Mitchells. and Venturas attacked Japanese installations at Kiska, but because of poor visibility the . results could not he observed, United States patrols have killed 15 more Japanese on Attu,

U.S. MERCHANT FLEET 20,000,000 TONS BY DECEMBER NEW YORK, June 28. “The speed of construction will raise America’s merchant fleet to 20,000,000 tons by December—larger than Britain’s,” said Rear-Admiral H. A. Vickery, vice-chairman of the United States Maritime Commission. “The new Victory freighter has a speed from 15 to 18 knots compared with 12 knots for the cider model. Victory ships do not require an escort and they can make the round trip over the North Atlantic in 21 days instead of 60.” CHINESE GENERAL’S PLEA NEED FOR AIRCRAFT AND BIG GUNS (Rec. 10,5 p.m.) CHUNGKING, June 26. One per cent, of the United States’ annual warplane production—B4o— be enough for China, said General Chen Cheng to war correspondents on the Upper Yangtse front. General Chen did not think China would receive that many. “We have fought for nearly six years on morale. 'lt is evident that we need a bigger air force and more heavy guns,” he said. General Chen, who is 47, and is one of China’s leading generals, was hastily summoned from Yunnan to turn back the recent Japanese threat to Chungking. He expressed the belief that the Japanese were not in a position to renew their attacks, as they have not enough troops in China to do so.

ALLIED PATROLS IN BURMA THRUST IN CHIN HILLS (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, June 25, Allied patrols have been active in the Chin hills of Burma, thrusting deep behind the westward limit of the Japanese positions along the Fort WhiteKalemyo road, embarrassing Japanese communications, according to a message from Allahabad. The Japanese seem to be confined to this road, to which they have moved in the last month, probably with the object of occupying the. Chin hills as monsoon quarters and to secure the left flank for their upper Burma defences against raids. These objects, says the message, have not been achieved and the Japanese have now been halted. A New Delhi communique states that American heavy bombers on Friday attacked widespread targets in Burma. Railway installations and buildings at Monywa, Ywtaung, and Mandalay were damaged. A radio station at Diamond Island was strafed. All the aeroplanes returned. PRO-ALLIED GROUPS SUPPRESSED POLICE ACTION IN ARGENTINA (Rec. 11 p.m ) BUENOS AIRES,-June 26. The police have closed the headquarters of a pro-Allied Argentine women’s organisation and stopped other volunteer groups from preparing bandages and other medical supplies lor the Allied forces.