RABAUL ENDANGERED

Evening Star, Issue 25068, 8 January 1944, Page 5

RABAUL ENDANGERED

JAPANESE AT DISADVANTAGE TOKIO RADIO ADMISSION (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) SYDNEY, January 7. The great Japanese supply base of Rabaul, in New Britain, is in grave danger, says an admission by the Tokio radio. " Our' position in' the Southwest Pacific has become very, serious in the past few days, and the menace to Rabaul has become acute," the radio declared. " Our forces have been placed at a disadvantage since the enemy has noiv mastery of the air and dominates our supply lines. The enemy also has at his disposal numerous aerodromes." A further sweep over Rabaul by Allied Solomons-based fighters is reported in General MacArthur's communique to-day. Of 30 intercepting Zeros,. 10 were shot down and five others probably destroyed. We lost one Corsair. These persistent Allied fighter sweeps, based on the Empress Augusta Bay airstrip on ' Bougainville Island, are forcing the Japanese fighters to engage in combat. Such tactics prevent the Japanese from building up reserves of air power at (Rabaul. The enemy no sooner brings in fresh air strength to Rabaul than it is forced to fight by our challenging sweeps. Kavieng (New Ireland) is also feeling the effects of the increased Allied air pressure promised by General MacArthur recently. In the latest raid against this enemy base, made on Tuesday morning, American carrierbased aircraft badly damaged two Japanese destroyers an shot down nine enemy planes. Tho destroyers ware caught in harbour and hit by both torpedoes and I,ooolb' bombs. One Allied plane was lost and others dam? aged. Other Japanese shipping has been attacked by Beaufighters at Koepang (Timor), where a schooner loaded with troops was left burning on Tuesday.