"WILD AND WOOLLY"

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

"WILD AND WOOLLY"

BATTLE OVER RASAUL NEW ZEALAND WARHAWKS ENGAGED (R.N Z.A.F. Official News Service.) NEW GEORGIA, January 3. New Zealand Warhawks have fought their biggest action in the Pacific over grimly-defended Rabaul in « " battle royal," as the pilots described it on their return. They shot down 12 Zeros for certain, with six others probably destroyed or badly damaged. The New Zealand losses were light. Kabaul marks the climax of the R.N.Z.A.F. fighter wing's activities in the Pacific. Starting with combats over Guadalcanal in April, they, .fought the enemy all the way up the .Solomons from Guadalcanal to the Russelis. then New Georgia, Vella Lavella, Kahili, Empress Augusta Bay on Bougainville, and now over Rabaul itself. In this battle they had more aircraft in action than on any previous occasion, and their score of enemy aircraft shot out of the sky was the highest for any single engagement. . Twenty-four R.N.Z.A.F. Warhawks and 20 American Hellcats took part in the sweep. The New Zealanders were led by Squadron-leaders Arkwright and Newton, and every pilot made contact with the enemy. As_the fighters came in,over Ra.baul the pilots saw dust rising from the airfield is Zeros came up to challenge them. The. action took place over ltaibaul Harbour, where the •Japanese have a large concentration of shipping, starting at about 18,000 ft and finishing at sea level. Fierce dogtights raged right down to the sea. , Arkwright, with his men. led off the attack, and Newton followed down. They tore into a bunch of 20 or l\o climbing Zeros and shot down at least half a dozen in that first dive. A general dogfight developed, with everybody working round some piece of sky. Following their adversaries down, the Warhawks ran slap bang into another batch of 20 or 30 Xeros and went straight through them. When theyreached sea level the New Zealanders found themselves boxed in by Zeros, and both squadrons'had to light their way out. Heavily outnumbered and chased continually, they worked together and shook themselves clear of the enemy about 40 miles from Rabaul, and then turned for the base. The whole fight lasted half an hour, and, in the words of one of the pilots, " it was pretty wild and woolly."