CONVOY OFF WEWAK

Evening Star, Issue 24482, 17 April 1943, Page 5

CONVOY OFF WEWAK

ENEMY SHIPS ATTAGKED THREE SEVERELY DAMAGED SYDNEY, April 10. Side by side with their mounting air offensive, the Japanese are continuing to build up tneir bases in the south-west Pacific area. To-day's communique from General MacArtnur's headquarters reports heavy attacks, «Inch are continuing, on an enemy convoy of nine vessels approaching \Ve\vak, which is now the cntef Japanese base on the north New Guinea coast. Heavy damage was done to three merchantmen in the initial attacks, which were made at dusk on Thursday. The communique says: "An enemy convoy of six merchant vessels and three warships was sighted by our reconnaissance approaching Wewak. Our heavy bombers immediately moved to the attack, and at dusk struck in the approaches to the harbour. In a series of mast-height attacks three vessels were heavily hit. An 8,000-ton cargo ship was observed listing rapidly, with heavy oil slick on the water. Another 8,000-ton vessel was seen to be sinking slowly by the stern, and a third vessel of 5,000 tons was forced ashore and beached. We are continuing the attack." No offensive action by the Japanese air force in this theatre was reported yesterday, but an Allied heavy bomber on reconnaissance 'over Kavieng, New Ireland, was intercepted by 10 Zeros, tliree of which were shot out of ac.tioil before the bomber reached cloud cover and shook off the remainder of its pursuers. In New Britain, the Lakunai aerodrome at Kabaul was heavily raided in an attack before dawn, large fires and explosions being caused. The Gasmata aerodrome was also attacked. Grounded aircraft on the Lae aerodrome were hit in a heavy bomber attack, and lighter air units executed 11 low-level bombing and strafing runs over enemy ground positions in the Buigap Creek area, near Mubo. North of Australia, a medium bomber attacked enemy installations at TaberfaiiQ, on Trangen Island, in the Aru group, and enemy coastal shipping at Jnnidena Island, in the nearby Tenimber group, was also bombed. In Timor, our medium bombers attacked the enemy-occupied village of Ossu.