JAP. WARSHIPS SUNK

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 April 1943, Page 5

JAP. WARSHIPS SUNK

CRUISERS AND DESTROYERS

OTHER VESSELS DAMAGED

SYDNEY, April 4

Concentrations of General MacArthur’s Air Force have again taken heavy toll of Japanese war and merchant shipping concentrations in the waters north of Australia. In attacks on Thursday and Friday, Fortresses and Liberators sank an enemy heavy cruiser, a light cruiser, and a large destroyer, and probably sank a 6000-ton merchantman, inflicted heavy damage on two other destroyers and a 10,000-ton merchantman, and probably damaged other warships and merchantmen. These are the stoutest blows struck against Japanese shipping since the Bismarck Sea battle early last month. The newest enemy concentration was attacked in the harbour at Kavieng, and a simultaneous attack on the airfield prevented interference by Japanese fighters. The ships were first sighted in Kavieng harbour by an Allied reconnaissance aeroplane early on Thursday. They numbered 13 warships, known to include cruisers, and a medium to large merchantmen aggregating about 40,000 tons. At dusk on Thursday, when our big bombers made their first attacks, they found six of the ships had left the harbour and were anchored along the south coast. These vessels were the targets chosen by the bombers. Two heavy explosions occurred on a 10,000-ton' merchantman, indicating direct hits, while a 6000-ton merchantman was seen settling down by the bow after being straddled with 5001 b. bombs. The vessel is believed to have been sunk. Damaging near misses were scored against other vessels, but the gathering darkness prevented full observation of the results.

Describing the attack on the enemy ships, General MacArthur’s communique states; “Striking just before dawn and taking the enemy largely by surprise, our heavy bombers executed a devastating low-level attack on a warship concentration in Silver Sound. Aided by flares, the attack was pressed home from medium level and mast-head height. Four direct hits from skip bombing with 5001 b bombs were scored on a light cruiser. The vessel was destroyed and sank immediately. A heavy cruiser received a direct hit from a high-level attack, and almost immediately afterwards received three direct hits from a low-level attack. The vessel burst into flames from bow to stern and exploded violently, throwing debris 400 feet in the air. It sank rapidly by the bow. A large destroyer was hit twice amidships and straddled by two other bombs, resulting in a large explosion. The vessel was mortally damaged and sinking. A direct hit and two near misses were scored on two destroyers moored together, causing at least severe damage. Two other warships, probably destroyers, were bombed, but darkness prevented observation of the results. Simultaneously with the attack on shipping the aerodrome was neutralised by a heavy bomber attack. In consequence there was no attempt at interception, and all our aeroplanes returned.”

JAP. CONCENTRATIONS

The continued destruction of Japanese shipping, again emphasising the value of greater Allied air striking power in the southern Pacific, mav have forestalled a fresh enemy move. Warnings were sounded late last week of heavily increased Japanese shipping and air concentrations north of Australia. Allied airmen report that the enemy’s aeroplane strength at operational bases along their island chain has doubled since the Papuan campaign ended in January. Concentrations at Japanese bases in the New Britain and New Ireland area as well as New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies are becoming stronger daily, says the “New York World-Telegram” correspondent at General MacArthur’s headquarters. He quotes Allied air officers as saying that the Allied bomber and longrange fighter strength is insufficient to prevent the Japanese from strengthening their bases which ring northern Australia. Australian airmen recently returned from Britain told the correspondent that the best corrective would be British Stirling, Halifax, and Lancaster bombers. These carry huge bomb loads and are easier to handle at low levels than the American heavy bombers, which are built for high flying. Reports from Guadalcanal say the latest Japanese air attacks on the Henderson airfields are the heaviest since the American forces won the battle for the island. Recently the enemy has been employing increasingly strong forces against this objective. A Washington report says that the Secretary of the Navy (Colonel Frank Knox) told a Press conference that the latest attack was made by 30 to 40 Japanese aeroplanes. ' This confirmed American knowledge that the enemy had been building up air strength in the area for some time. He added that the raid might be viewed as a Japanese effort to retaliate lor the daily punishment which American aeroplanes had dealt out to enemy liases in daily doses for many weeks. DETAILS OF ATTACKS.

(X.Z.I’.A. Special Australian Correspondent}

(Rec. 12.45 p.m.) v SYDNEY, April 5. Fewer than 12 bombers took part in the week-end attack which sank three Japanese warships and severely damaged at least two others, lhe small number of planes which participated in the raid, officially described as “one 01. the most devastating made m this area," heavily underlines the agitation for an increased allotment of aeroplanes to the Southern Pacific. . ••That his losses will stir the enemy to yet greater efforts to recover lighter supremacy on the New Guinea coasts, is not'to be doubted,” declares the “Sydney Morning Herald” editorially. to-day, for the rebuffs he has suffered are a challenge to his hold in this area. The truth should by now be appreciated in Washington that the United States has committed its arms so deeply here that it cannot afford to deny reinforcement, in support of what those arms have already achieved.” . Flying Fortresses, lighting up their targets "with flares, made many ot their attacking runs at “wave-top' height. The raid, lasting 30 minutes, was perhaps the most successful exploitation vet of the “skip” bombing tactics formulated and developed in this Command area, by which bombs are “skipped” from a low level, into the hulls of ships, holing them at the waterline. Some of the Flying Fortresses were damaged by antiaircraft fire from the warships, but all returned to their base safely, and no member of the crews was injured. The- warships manoeuvred violently in unsuccessful efforts to avoid the attacks. , „ T Captain Fred Wesche, of New Jersey. who sank a destroyer.in a lone attack off Finschhafen a few days ago. got home the iirst cured hit which started the fire on the heavy cruiser. Japanese sailors were seen «s , '-urrying along the decks making •frantic efforts to put out the flames. y,”t the succeeding attackers scored

other direct hits. One of the 5001 b bombs must have penetrated the powder magazine because the ship blew up with a terrific explosion. The light "cruiser sank within a few minutes of four direct hits by “skip” bombing. Lieutenant William Humriehouse who ’sank the heavy destroyer with two direct hits flew so low that his plane nearly collided with a mast as the warship zig-zagged to escape the bombs which were throwing up huge waterspouts around it. “I made a head-on attack and at one stage it appeared as if a collision was inevitable,” the pilot said.- “The Jap must have got a fright. He twisted vhen I was almost on top of him. There were only a few feet between me and the masthead when I dropped my bombs.”

MACARTHUR’S COMMUNIQUE

(N’.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, April 4. To-day's communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters states: — . AL .. Dutch New Guinea. —At Timika our medium units executed an effective low level bombing and strafing attack on enemy barges, motor transport, and supply dumps. Kai Islands.—At Langgoer our long range fighters executed a sweep over the airfield, and sank a barge bv strafing at Watdek. . ‘Tenimbar Islands.—At Salumlaki our medium bombers and later one ol our heavy units bombed the town, slanting ‘large fires in the building area and along the waterfront. Dyaul Island.—One of our heavy units bombed and hit a 6000-ton enemy cargo ship heading towards Rabaul. ~ „ New Britain. —At Open Bay. Gasmata, one of our heavy units bombed enemy shore installations with the aid of flares. One of our medium units bombed and strafed the waterfront at night from a low altitude, completely demolishing storehouses along the wharf. Cape Gloucester—Ono ol our medium units at night bombed and strafed the aerodrome and dispersed areas. ~ , .. New Guinea—At Madange one of our medium bombers bombed and strafed the town at night, starting fires. At Mubo one of our heavy units bombed the beach area. Oui attack aeroplanes three times made low level sweeps over the area bombing and strafing enemy positions at Kitchen Creek, Salus, Duah, and Lababia.

FIGHTING IN NEW GUINEA.

(X.Z.I’.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, April 4. Further gains have been made by the Allied land forces working their way westward along the Northern New Guinea coast. A spokesman at General MacArthur’s headquarters announces the occupation of Morobe, 65 mites south-east of Salamaua. Morobe, at the mouth of the Wana River, is 20 mites across the Papuan border. This process of cleaning out the Japanese from pockets along the coast has been going on since the end of the Papuan campaign. Recently it was announced that the Mambare sector on the Papua-North-east New Guinea border haa been cleared of the enemy, and that since the end of the Buna lighting 700 Japanese had been killed by our troops in their 80 miles coastal push. Combined with this land drive, Allied aircraft are increasing the pressure on the beleaguered Japanese oprrisons in North New Guinea. Sweeps have again been made over the enemy’s new coastal supply road.

AUSTRALIAN LOSSES

SYDNEY, April 3. The Commander of the Allied land forces in the South-west Pacific (General Sir Thomas Blarney) has revealed that 3000 Australians had been killed in the New Guinea fighting. This was only a small percentage of the enemy losses, as Australian soldiers themselves had buried at least 9000 Japanese dead. . “Victories such as those m the Owen Stanley Range and at Buna and Gona were won only by men with the conscious superiority of soldiers of the type of the 9th Division,” said General Blarney. “It is a peculiar tiling about the Army that it is never any good until it is a veteran army. General Blarney praised the cooperation between the Americans and the Australians in the combat zones, and declared that Australia, with a population of several millions, had kept more men in the field than any other part of the Empire as well as providing Ihe,m with equipment.

IN THE SOLOMONS

WASHINGTON, April 3

A United States Navy communique states that in the South Pacific on April 2 Lightning fighters attacked and set fire to a small Japanese cargo vessel anchored off Vella Lavella Island, in the New Georgia group.

SMASHING BLOWS PLANNED

(Recd. 11 a.m.) „ NEW YORK, April 4. Military and naval circles believe that smashing blows are planned in the Pacific, possibly coinciding with or even preceding an eventual European offensive, reports the Washington correspondent of the “New York Times.”

He adds: “However, the _ same circles would be greatly surprised it the main Pacific ohow began before the last act of the European drama was in sight. The most likely possibility for first blow seems to rest in General MacArthur’s domain. Indeed, it is safe to bet that MacArthur will not sit still, even if he cannot manage a large-scale push against Rabaul. The other Japanese bases are tempting plums in his neighbourhood. No one in Washington expects an island-to-island campaign, however. These enemy bases have been greatly reinforced, and Japanese air strength has been increased recently. Therefore, General MacArthur cannot take too great risks. Naval experts are not concealing the unfortunate fact that the United States find it difficult to spare enough aircraft-carriers for General MacArthur’s venture.

The possibility is also seen of the resumption of the bembing of Tokio from China. It is believed this’ was part of the strategy recently discussed by the Pacific Service Chiefs in Washington.” KISKA AGAIN” BOMBED.

RUGBY, April 4

Bombing of Japanese-occupied Kiska, in th 'eAleutians, eight times in one day. is reported by a United States Navy communique, dealing with operations on April 2. Hits on the target area were observed. All the United States planes returned.