FLYING BOATS' SCORE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 81, 3 October 1944, Page 6

FLYING BOATS' SCORE

If ":"■&/: (Special P.A. Correspondent.) ■: 'vk: ■■''■'■'.':■;' ■■ ■■; - : SYDNEY, October 2. . ,*,; In .-■. six nights United States navy |!£ Catalina. flying-boats operating" from ;}s*<; ibasesUrithe South-west Pacific have v^ ;sunk. or damaged 73,000 tons of Jap.an<sM ese shipping: ■Their -victims . included medium -to large-sized freighters <£? «unk-ana^hine ■ others damaged. ;§;4; All the kills were made between the f£ -Philippines and Celebes, and the pre- ■&/. ienca-pf such a large volume of enemy ■^ shipping . suggests, that the Japanese • ; j :• were making desperate efforts to supI;; ;!ply - and'perhaps reinforce their bases ;ji -in/this salient. Some of, the vessels &•' destroyed, had; been loaded with vital i*J aviation- fuel. ■■'■'■ ■■' ■ ■ ;. ':■:£* The: loss of ■■> tankers and of several freighters of between 8000' and .fe 10,000 tons is a severe .blow to the ■''■■v-■■■• sorely-taxed Japanese. merchant mar:,;?gC.jihe:-; A Catalina which sank the 8500- ---:■:■%£ ton freighter, -in the Timor Strait j,ar .(south-east of. Celebes) on Saturday ;fiA .Bight, made its. way- safely back to j,v:f base with brie engine blown off by anti•■ijv.;aircraft 'fire. ■''," . :- . vKi - Other attacks reported by General ■4iN^acArthur's .communique today in- ■•; eluded 100 sorties against the remnants :..'-\ of the Japanese Second Army in Dutch 'vNew Guinea. A raid was made on ; • -Manokwari, formerly the main base of the. Japanese Second Army and still held by- a fairly strong enemy garri* "-■:' ' sori.' ■■;'; ;\ .. ■./■. ■