AIR OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 70, 20 September 1943, Page 5

AIR OFFENSIVE

LAUNCHED IN SOLOMONS

DAY AND NIGHT ATTACKS

(By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.)

SYDNEY, September 19. Allied air forces in the central Solomons are maintaining: day and night attacks on Japanese aerodromes in the Buin-Faisi area at the south end of Bougainville Island. In an attempt to interfere with the offensive, the Japanese are throwing in large formations of fighters, 30 of which have been shot down by Allied planes in two days' air operations for the loss of six Allied aircraft. At least another eight Japanese planes have been . destroyed on the ground. .General MacArt>ur's communique reports that strong forces .of Allied bombers in all categories on Thursday made day and night raids on enemy aerodromes at Ballale, Kahili, and Kara. Runways, dispersal areas, and repair and supply depots were heavily bombed and strafed, and explosions and fires were caused all over the target areas. Two grounded aircraft were destroyed and many others probably hit. , . Nearly 100 Japanese fighters challenged the raiders and 16 were shot down for the loss of three . Allied planes. .$ Giving the enemy no respite, our bombers with fighter escort again heavily pounded the aerodromes in the Buin-Faisi area on Friday. Direct hits were seen to destroy motor transport and at least six grounded aircraft. Of 50 fighters which attempted interception, Allied fighters shot down 14 for the loss of three planes. JAPANESE ATTACKS. A force of between 40 and 60 Japanese planes on Thursday riight bombed Allied positions at Munda and Barakoma on Vella Lavella Island, causing minor damage,and casualties. Further minor damage was done m three enemy raids on Munda on Friday night. Anti-aircraft fire shot down one raider. An Allied large naval craft destroyed five enemy barges off the north coast of Vella Lavella. A South Pacific correspondent says the Japanese air command is strongly reinforcing the Solomons and New Britain in an attempt to counter the Allies' mounting air offensive. This will mean a heavy drain on the enemy's limited resources. The strong fighter opposition encountered by our aircraft attacking aerodromes on Bougainville suggests that the Japanese are possibly using seqret airfields constructed m the 350 miles of forest and bush plains on the Kara airfield, mentioned in General Mac Arthur's communique for the first time is a secretly-built field which has just been made operative. It lies seven miles north-east of Kahili.- it is also clear that in spite of hundreds of tons of bombs dropped on the Kahili and Ballale airfields, they are still in operation. ■ Since the launching of the Solomons offensive on August 7, 1942, up to last Tuesday, Admiral Halsey's navy and aircraft and General Harmon's army planes have destroyed 2136 Japanese aircraft. • American troops repulsed a Japanese attack on Arundel Island, between the New Georgia and Kulambangra Islands in the Solomons. The Japanese made the attack afterseveral hundred troops landed-at night succeeded in reinforcing the enemy garrison holding the north-eastern corner of the island.