AIR FIGHTING OVER NISSAN

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24187, 21 February 1944, Page 3

AIR FIGHTING OVER NISSAN

PROTECTIVE ALLIED' SCREEN MEETING JAPANESE ATTACKS (Ollicial Wai Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) N.Z. BATTLE HDQRS., Feb. 18. Japanese bombers have been doing ■heir best to dislocate the initial stages of the Allied invasion of Nissan, but ihev met more trouble than they bargained for in the few sorties so far. Air battles resulted in the complete dispersal of aM the raiders before damage was done. jn some instances, the Japanese were unable to close through the fighter and anti-aircraft screen and were chased home without dropping their loads. The early Allied successes close to Nissan took toll of six dive-bombers, plus two probables which were collected by Marine Corsairs and Army Airacobras. Observers on the ships atacked early mi the morning of February 15 saw a -.real display which caught the Japanese in a devastating arc of lire. One bomber dived by a ship’s balloon protection and was compelled to swerve into heavy tire. It was badly hit and was seen descending in flames to the sea only 200 yards off without getting in a single attack on any of our craft. In the Allied strikes on the New Britain and New Ireland airstrips concurrent with the Nissan landing the Berpop strip in east New Ireland was rendered unserviceable. Nine Zeros plus two probables were collected from a force of from 40 to 50 enemy aircraft which met Lightnings and Corsairs during these raids. The Japanese paid punitive attention to other Allied strongholds, including Treasury Island, early on Wednesday morning, but the four bombs dropped caused no damage. With the completion of the initial task of securing Nissan Island for the intake of Allied units and consolidation, the New Zealanders are actively engaged in sending out fighting patrols to contact and eliminate the Japanese cut off in various areas. For the remaining enemy, Nissan is “an island of no retreat”—their outlet is blocked thoroughly by the sea. The enemy outlook is hopeless, but the New Zealanders are not hastening tlie patrols, since rounding up can wait in view of the consolidation programme now under way. An interesting sidelight on the first day’s activity was provided by an observer, Lieutenant Holt, U.S.M.C., after a trip in a torpedo-bomber. Lieutenant Holt wrote: “Late in the afternoon a marine fighter-pilot reported a group of New Zealanders enjoying a swim in the rollmg surf.”