JAPANESE ARMADA

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 2, 4 January 1943, Page 5

JAPANESE ARMADA

CONCENTRATED NEAR RAPAUL

(By "Telejraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) j SYPNEY, January 3. Japanese have concentrated a great armada near Rabaul," New Britain. It is described as "no ordinary collection of ships" and is believed to include many merchantmen, which could be used as transports. Japanese activities are causing speculation. Observers believe that the Rabaul concentration may be intended to relieve the hard-pressed Japanese forces on Guadalcanal or for a fresh landing in Papua. Two of ten enemy ships set afire at Rabaul, last week by General MacArthur's ' bombers were transports, seven were freighters, one was a heavy cruiser. Enemy /merchant shipping sunk or destroyed aggregated 67,000 tons. ; , RAIDED ON FRIDAY. The fourth raid of the week on shipping at this key Japanese base was made early on Friday morning. Direct hits^with 10001b bombs were scored on three ships aggregating 24,000 tons. Six Flying Fortresses and Liberators made the raid. All three ships were observed to be burning fiercely. Two of five intercepting Zeros were shot down. "The Japanese are again ready to hazard great losses in order to relieve their beleaguered soldiers on Guadalcanal," says the "New York Times" Washington correspondent. "In /view of the activity of the American air force, military experts do not fear that such an attack would be successful, but they do not minimise the strength which Japan is likely to use. "It is also notable that the Japanese are not using fighters in the South Pacific, relying almost solely on flak to keep our bombers at a high altitude. This is interpreted to mean that they are husbanding their fighter strength for strafing operations rather than sacrifice it in fruitless attacks on American bombers." WIDESPREAD ATTACKS. Widespread Allied air attacks on enemy bases continued on Friday and Saturday. At Wide Bay, south of Rabaul, a Japanese submarine was damaged. In a raid on the Gasmata airfield Fortresses dropped 10001b bombs on runways and dispersal bays, destroying at least one grounded Zero. The Japanese aerodrome at Bum in the northern Solomons was also attacked, while the Lac aerodrome in New Guinea was the target for 1000----pounders. Numerous fires were started. The town area of Salamaua was raided. Japanese bombers again attacked the Allied port of Merauke. on the south coast of Dutch New Guinea.