JAPANESE SHIPPING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 284, 28 August 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE SHIPPING

More Punishing - Blows

.By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received August. 27, 10.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 27.

A punishing Mow against Japanese shipping in Celebes was struck by General MacArthur's bombers on Thursday. They sank or damaged seven mediumsized freighters, a light cruiser and. -10 luggers or barges. It was the heaviest enemy shipping loss sustained in this sector.

The attack was made by 25 unescorted Mitchells, which caught the Japanese ships at Mauado and at anchorage in Lambeh Strait on the northwestern tip of Celebes. Manado is the Japanese headquarters in Celebes, and the centre for the distribution of supplies to enemy strongpoints in the west ami to the Philippines (350 miles to the north). -- Detailed' results announced from General MacArthur's headquarters were: — Sunk: Five 2000 to 3000-ton freightertransports. Probably sunk: A cruiser, which was left burning from stem to stern and listing. Badly damaged: A 4000-ton barge tender, two 1000 to 20pOton freighters. Most of the barges and luggers attacked were also sunk. The Mitchells flew 150 miles inside the enemy’s Philip-pines-Halmahera defence line to strike at the shipping. No Japanese aircraft attempted interception, but anti-aircraft fire from ships and shore batteries was intense. After pushing home their attack from mast height, all the Mitchells returned safely to their base. Thursday's signal success was followed on Friday by a Liberator raid on (he Ccram-Amboiua area, when more than 100 tons of bombs were dropped on airfields. Again there was no Japanese lighter opposition. At Boeroe a 6000-fon enemy freighter-transport was damaged with two direct bomb bits. (Since Hie Allied aerial assault on Halmahera has been mounted, the Japanese have been forced to rely increasingly on bases in the Celcbes-Uerain-Ainboinn sector. The raids reported by General MacArthur’s weekend communiques must make it apparent to the enemy that these are unsafe areas, and that their attempts to maintain and supply garrisons will be costly. ENEMY BANS SUPPLIES (Received August 27. 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, August 26. A Washington report says the Stale Department has announced that the Japanese Government cancelled . Hie Y.M.C.A. relief arrangement providing for tfie distribution of supplies to war prisoners in the Philippines because ot the “special situation in the islands. The Japanese Government expressed its willingness Io consider a request made by the ‘Swiss Government for the transfer of funds for prisoners in the Philippines. POSTCARDS FROM JAPAN (Received August 27. 9.15 p.m.) RUGBY. August 26. A further batch of some 2000 postcards from prisoners of war and civilian internees in Japanese hands reached Britain recently. About two-thirds were from civilian internees at Hong Bong and the remainder from prisoners in Thailand, Formosa and Japan.