FOUND AT RABAUL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 98, 21 January 1944, Page 5

FOUND AT RABAUL

Eight Enemy Cargo Vessels ALL HIT, THREE EXPLODE (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received January 20, 9.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 20. The Japanese suffered heavy shipping losses on Monday when Admiral Halsey’s torpedo- and dive-bombers from the Solomons made a devastating strike at Rabaul, New Britain—the second within four days. Three enemy cargo ships exploded and sank, two were left burning and probably sank, and three others were seriously damaged. Allied fighters escorting the bombers clashed with more than 100 Japanese fighters, IS of which were shot down, and 15 were probably destroyed. Twelve Allied planes were lost. . . . , , News of the raid was given in todays communique from General MacArthur s headquarters. The bombers sighted the target at 1 p.m. Eight vessels, were anchored on the west side of Simpson Harbour and four more in Keravia Bay, where three destroyers were also circling. Diving through intense anti-aircraft nre from the perimter of the harbour, the destroyers, and armed barges at the harbour entrance, the bombers scored direct hits with 1000 aud 20001 b. on the eight cargo vesseld in Simpson Harbour. Corsair, Hellcat and Lightning fighters engaged the enemy interceptors so well that nearly all the bombers escaped unscathed. The communique also reports that a 2000-ton Japanese freighter was left sinking after a night attack by a Liberator bomber off Cape Pomas, west of Rabaul. , . . The Japanese abandoned 126 dead in an abortive attempt to recapture the strategic Hill 660, cast of Cape Gloucester, New Britain, before dawn on Monday. Later, mariens patrolled down the south side of the hill without contacting the enemy. Advance at Bougainville. On Bougainville Island strong American patrols crossed the Torokina River at the northern end of Empress Augusta Bay on Sunday and Monday, and occupied positions near the lagoons on the east side of the river-mouth. Japanese planes raided the area on Sunday night but caused little damage and few casualties. . Australian troops in New Guinea nre consolidating their hold on the Sio area, on the HuOn Peninsula. Air activity was limited to patrolling. Thunderbolts shot down two Japanese fighters over Wewak and a Liberator damaged an enemy cargo ship 40 miles north-west of the Japanese base. One Lightning fighter was lost when strafing an enemy machinegun nest at Madang. Central Pacific. A Washington communique states that naval search planes attacked Kusaie Island, a Japanese air base south-west of the Marshall Islands, in daylight on Monday; bombing shore facilities. On the same afternoon army bombers attackci Mille atoll, scoring hits on storage facilities and aerodrome installations. All our planes returned safely. Enemy bombers made a nuisance raid on Tarawa Island at dusk on Monday without causing damage. ' NEW LANDMARK American Raid On Carolines (Received January 20, 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 19. The attack on Kusaie marks the first Amer.ican raid on the Caroline Islands, says the United Press’s Pearl Harbour correspondent. Kusaie, 750 miles southeast of Truk, is believed to be an important staging base for Japanese fighters and bombers now reinforcing the Marshall Islands. The raid is considered significant, since it carries Admiral Nimitz's offensive hundreds of miles westward.