BATAVIA GETS FIRST AIR VISIT

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 4, 29 September 1944, Page 5

BATAVIA GETS FIRST AIR VISIT

Planes Fly 3000 Miles (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) <Speclal Austialluu (Received September 28, 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 27. In’the longest round flight ever undertaken in the south-west Pacific area two Australian-based planes raided Batavia, seaport of Java and capital of the Dutch East Indies, on Sunday. Flying nearly 3000 miles the raiders caught the Japanese defences by surprise. Bombs were iiot carried since the flight was mainly for reconnaissance purposes, but enemy-occupied buildings in tbe city were strafed with' cannon and machinegun fire. The planes returned safely. This was the first air strike against Batavia by General MacArthur's bombers since the Japanese overran Java in March, 1942. The previous attack on an objective in Java was in March last, when the enemy-occupied naval base of Sourabaya was heavily hit. South-west Pacific bombers have been over Sourabaya. on several occasions, but seldom have been reported as operating far beyond that target. Batavia is about 400 miles west of Sourabaya. Earlier record long distance flights in the south-west Pacific area were a series of raids on the oil centre of Balikpapan made by Liberators about a year ago. These attacks involved a round flight of 2600 miles from an Australian base.