HEAVY STROKES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 120, 16 February 1944, Page 5

HEAVY STROKES

Allied Air Attacks In S.W. Pacific RABAUL RECEIVES 179 TONS (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received February 15, 9.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, February 15. American forces landed on Saturday on Rooke Island in Vitiaz Strait, between New 'Guinea and New Britain. It. is believed there was no opposition. Rooke Island, which dominates the strait, was previously occupied by the Japanese, 'but they failed to exploit its strategic situation. 'Long Island, also in Vitiaz Strait, was occupied by the Allies at the time of the Cape Gloucester landing early last month. This is a smaller island lying about 40 miles north-west of Rooke. The Americans in New Britain have also made a new thrust eastward from Borgen Bay, and have occupied Gorissi, slightly cast of Cape Mensing. Cape Mensing is about 20 air miles from Cape Gloucester, and the occupation of Gorissi represents an advance of about four miles. The entire area is reported to be clear of the Japanese. Enemy remnants are continuing their hurried withdrawal further to the east. They clearly have been abandoned by the Japanese High Command. This is in line with the command’s treatment of the enemy garrison on Huon Peninsula. Once the main Japanese force has been defeated its remnants were left to die of starvation or disease, or to escape as best they could. The crippling Allied air-raids on Rabaul probably account for the' very limited nature of the aid available. The only enemy air attacks on the American positions and shipping at Cape Gloucester have been feeble strikes by single planes. Heavy Air Raids. Allied aircraft have made some of the heaviest strikes yet recorded on important Japanese bases in the iSouth-west Pacific. Bases attacked include Rabaul, Kavieng, Momote, in the Admiralty Isands, and Wewak. Again the greatest blow was delivered against Rabaul, which at midday on Saturday was hit by 179 tons of bombs. More than 200 Solomons-based planes made the raid They were intercepted by about 60 Zeros, of which seven were shot down and two others probably destroyed. The Lakunai, Tobera, and Vunakanau aerodromes were the principal targets, and General MacArthur’s latest communique claims extensive damage. Just before dawn on Sunday Allied planes scored direct bomb hits on an eitemy cargo vessel 27 miles north-east of Rabaul.

In no other attacks on Japanese bases did Allied planes encounter enemy fighter opposition. At Kavieng, Liberators, escorted by Lightnings, dropped 14-7 tons of explosives on the ‘ aerodrome. Extensive damage was done to runways, and an ammunition dump was blown up. Large fires were started when Mitchells dropped 90 tons of bombs on Momote aerodrome, near Lorengau, in the Admiralty Islands. At Wewak, the Tadjik airfield was attacked by Bostons and Kittyhawks early on Monday morning. Seven grounded planes were destroyed and four others probably destroyed. Offshore a 3000-ton freighter and a coastal vessel were left in flames.