RABAUL BOMBED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 138, 12 June 1943, Page 5

RABAUL BOMBED

AIRFIELDS TARGETS

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 11. In a, night raid lasting: three hours, Flying Fortresses and Liberators dropped nearly 40 tons of bombs on three aerodromes around Rabaiil. Lakumai aerodrome, south of Vunakanau, and Rapopo were also heavily attacked.

Earlier reconnaissance flights had revealed a concentration of 149 Japanese bombers and fighters on Vunakanau and Rapopo aerodromes, General MacArthur's spokesman said today. Five waves of Allied bombers made the attacks.

Intense anti-aircraft fire and interception by the enemy night fighters, all of which were driven off, inflicted no casualties on our planes, all of which returned. The bombs dropped included high'explosive, fragmentation, and incendiary types

Detailing the results, of the raid, General Mac Arthur's communique says: "One thousand pound bombs caused violent explosions, indicating hits on ammunition dumps. Numerous large fires were started and "were visible 50 miles away. Many small fires—more than 19 were actually counted in the dispersal bays—indicated burning aircraft. Several search- 1 lights at Vunakanau were 'simultaneously extinguished by one bomb burst." A Gatalina made a night attack on Gasmata aerodrome, ia New Britain. North of Australia a heavy bomber., attacked a 4000-ton enemy cargo ship entering Kokas harbour, on McCleur Gulf, on the south coast of Dutch New Guinea ,and left the ship stationary in the water. The town area and shipping in the harbour at Sorong, on the. westerly tip of Dutch New Guinea, were also attacked. Large explosions and fires occurred near the jetty.