PACIFIC OPERATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1943, Page 5

PACIFIC OPERATIONS

HOSPITAL SHIP VICTIMS

JAP. RADIO COMMENT

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

SYDNEY, May 19.

The loss of life when the Australian hospital ship Centaur was sunk by Japanese submarines near Brisbane on Friday was not quite so heavy as was-at first announced. The complement of the vessel was 332, not 363, which was the first official figure. This reduces the number’ of personnel lost from 299 to 268. Making this correction, General MacArthur’s communique to-day says that the new figures were arrived at after a further check by the Australian Army and Navy authorities.

Messages from London and New York declare that Britain and the United States have been horrified by this foul act of barbarism by the Japanese Navy, which is stated to have emphasised the devilish calibre of the enemy. It has been inferred in some quarters from a Japanese radio announcement, that the sub-' marine was deputed especially to sink the Centaur. An enemy spokesman, attempting to justify the action, said: “Our enemy. America, has repeatedly revealed a tendency to barbarism in the Pacific war.”

The Sydney “Sun,” in a leading article to-day, asks whether Allied hospital ships in the Pacific can in future be permitted to go unescorted. “We have trusted once,” it says, “and it has cost us nearly 300 valuable lives. It would be folly to trust again.” Some of the survivors have been moved to their homes, but most are still in hospital. Sister Nellie Savage, the only surviving nurse, is stated to be in a satisfactory condition.

MR FRASER’S MESSAGE

WELLINGTON, May 19

The following message has been sent by Mr Fraser to the Prime Minister of Australia:—“The Government and people of New Zealand were deeply shocked at the wanton and brutal sinking by the Japanese submarine of the Australian hospital ship, Centaur, and extend their deepest sympathy to the Government and people of Australia, to the survivors and the next-of-kin of till who lost their lives. , . . “This barbarous attack, contrary to all the laws of war and humanity, against an unarmed vessel proceeding on a lawful occasion will shocK the conscience of the world with the brntnl-'tv of the Japanese Government. Indeed, it will spur all peoples of the United Nations to ever efforts to destroy for ever tne loroes of aggression responsible loi su..n barbarity.”

SPY RING ALLEGED.

SYDNEY, May 19. The Navy Minister (Mr. Makin) declared to-day that a well-oigan-ised spy ring was operating witmn Australia He pointed to tne leccat inking of ships off the coast as conclusive evidence of spies o P ' “The course of recent exents which have been costly to the shipnincr of this country has given rise to /rave feelings about acts age, which are manifest, said the Minister: “It is more than a com cidence that classes of shipping, of particular importance have been attacked by submarines. 1 uige int Sflffic to be careful in conversat on mid not to discuss ship movements at all.”

•® AERIAL ACTIVITIES

SYDNEY, May 19. The Tanane.se continued their ait ntfficks against the Allied aerodrome in northern. New Guinea on Tuesday, with a raid by 25 Zero, some of which carried bombs. 1 his followed Mondays raid by 43 aeio planes. The attacks appear to be designed to disrupt the passage of supplies to the Australian troops fighbng in the Mubo area. Only 10 bombs were dropped in the latest raia, bi t the Zeros then came down from 10,000 to 50 feet to strale the airfield. ILhe damage was slight and there were n °Affied air activity on Tuesday was mostly on a small scale, includm & raids on the enemy bases at Kawieng in New Ireland, Lorengau (Admiralty Islands): Rabaul, Ara we Gasrnata and Cape Gloucester, all in New Bntaim and Finschhafen and Lae in New Guinea. Catalinas and Beauforts made the attack on Gasrnata aerodrome, while the only other heavy raid was an attack before dawn on the Vunakanau aerodrome at Rabaul, where fires were started. An encounter near Kawieng resulted in a Liberator on reconnaissance shooting down one of two enemv floatplanes over Stetten Strait, which separates New Hanover from New Ireland.

U.S.A. ADVANCE ON ATTU

RUGBY, May 18

Further American advances on Attu Island are announced by tne United States Navy Department. A communique states that the forces working inland were in possession ot a hitffi ridge south-east of Holtz bay and "that United States troops from the Massacre Bay area were advancing northwards. During the day the Massacre Bay force advanced up the Pass towards Holtz Bay. and advanced patrols from the two forces joined. During me afternoon the Pass was cleared -u enemy troops.

RAID ON WAKE ISLAND

NEW YORK, May 19. The Liberators which bombed Wake Island dropped 24.000 pounds of explosives, including a special 'type of block-buster, says the “New •York Times’s” Hawaii correspondent. The raid was the fifth since the Japanese captured the atoll. It is significant because it is typical ol the” kind of war the United States is waging on this long battlefront from t.ae Aleutians to the Solomons while ;the Attu operations are designed to pinch off the Japanese northern salient The New Guinea campaign hacks against the southern tentacle. The recent raids against Nauru, Tarawa, and now Wake Island, are hitting the middle of the Japanese line. Colonel Clarence Hegy. leader of the raid, reported that old and new model Zeros, the latter armed with 20 millimetre cannon, took off, but the Japanese were diffident about attacking. They broke off after firing a few rounds of tracer bullets. 1 Colonel Hegy added he believed that the bomb damage was considerable. All the raiders returned.

CANADA’S EFFORT.

OTTAWA, May 19

The Canadian Press says that Mr. Howard Green, Progressive Conservative Member for British Columbia, asked the House of Commons for a Governmental declaration on its proposals to help the other nations to defeat the Japanese. Mr. Green said that other countries had given undertakings but not Canada. “We should know if Canada is at War with Japan or not.” he said. “We may wake up one of these mornings to find that the Japanese have •attacked Canada’s west coast. Canada was the first to declare war on

Japan, but apparently, is waiting for the other countries to fight it.- The Government’s policy seems to be for Canada to turn her back on the Pacific. The Defence Department seems to be content merely for a holdingwar in the Pacific. Canadian units should be sent to Australia for battle experience.” .