AIR BATTLES OVER BASES

Evening Star, Issue 25083, 26 January 1944, Page 5

AIR BATTLES OVER BASES

HEAVY TOLL DF JAPANESE PLANES SYDNEY. January 25. In week-end battles over Japanese bases in the South-west Pacific 51 enemy planes were shot down, with 14 others probably destroyed. We lost 13 planes. The main battle was fought over Wewak (New Guinea) on Sunday morning, when attacking Liberator (bombers, escorted by Kittyhawk and Thunderbolt fighters, found 50 Japanese lighters waiting for them at 30.000 feet.

Allied bombers and fighters destroyed 33 of the interceptors and probably accounted for 12 more. Twelve certainties and eight probables were credited to the • Liberators, which also dropped 105 tons of bombs. Escorting Kittyhawks and Thunderbolts in smaller numbers than the Japanese gave battle and almost wiped out the enemy formations, shooting down 21 and proibably four more enemy planes. Five Allied planes were lost. The Japanese put 70 fighters into the air to defend Rabaul when over 100 Solomons-based bonnbers and fighters— Mitchells, Corsairs, Warhawks, and Lightnings attacked Lakunai aerodrome on Saturday. In the resulting com'bat the Japanese lost 18 fighters, with two others probaibly destroyed. Six Allied planes were lost, but one pilot was saved. The Mitchells made a heavy 'bomlbing attack on the aerodrome.

On Saturday night other Mitchells and Liberators raided Rabaul township, starting fires which were visible for 75 miles. Two of our planes are missing. Early on Monday morning a United States navy Ca'talina attacked a Japanese destroyer 35 miles from Wewak. A strafing attack started a fire amidships. In the Kavieng (New Ireland) area our aircraft on night patrol damaged a 7,000-ton enemy freighter.