PACIFIC BOMBINGS

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 November 1943, Page 5

PACIFIC BOMBINGS

SHIPS SUNK OR DAMAGED

EIGHT JAP. PLANES LOST (N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, November 18

Allied bombers continue to concen- , trate their attacks against enemy ( shipping moving in the South-west ( Pacific area. Another Japanese con- < voy, making for Rabaul, bas been 1 bombed. This and other attacks reported by General MacArthui s com- • munique to-day achieved the follow- j ing results: One 6000-ton cargo ship damaged by two direct hits, thiee ] coastal vessels sunk and one damaged one 2500-ton freighter hit and ] left sinking, and 12 barges destroyed, j and seven damaged. The communique j also reports the destruction of eight j Japanese aircraft, with three others , Probably destroyed. . 1 1 The 6000-ton cargo ship was one . unit of a Rabaul convoy comprising j two destroyers, lour corvettes, and j two freighters. Catalinas attacked on j Monday night when the ships weie , ffist north of Rabaul. They scored , two direct hits on the vessel one with , a 10001 b. and one with a 2501 b. bomb. While the Japanese continued to j move shipping to Rabaul, persistent , night bombing attacks have foiced them to change their tactics at the , ba™ Before the nightly sweeps were , begun the enemy ships at Rab^H l were dispersed each night in the St. George Channel. Now they are kept huddled together in the Simpson harbour, with a Protective ling of anti nh-craft guns and searchlights. Operating in the New Britain areas, , Royal Australian Air Force Beau- . fiohters strafed and sank three coastal vessels. A Liberator was respon- . stole for-the probable destruction of , the 2500-ton cargo ship, at Hansa Bay in North-east New Guinea. Two direct bomb hits left the vessel sinking by the stern and surrounded by 8 'destruction of Japanese sswsjf in" ‘fo’-SSi; Wewak in North-east New Guinea, when American Thundeibo high-altitude fighters scored a spectacular victory over 20 Zeros ol the types Oscars, Haps, and Toms. K\e Zeros were shot down and thiee others probably destroyed. PROGRESS REPORT. > I'Rpe 230 P.m.) SYDNEY, Nov 19. • More than 800 Japanese dead have , been counted by the American forces ( S’ “e enlarging their beachhead : at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougam , ville Island, Northern Solomons. < Halsey’s aircraft continue to be act- | ivc, both in support of ground tioop.. •md in raids against enemy aeio 1 dromes. MacArthur's communique ( to-day also reports fresh ground < lighting in New Guinea, wheie Au. i fralian troops in the I mschhafen i area have initiated pressure against Japanese positions neai Stelbe g. Our ground troops have received direct air support while the enemy s rear areas and supply routes have also been bombed and siiaied. At 1 tacks against Japanese shipping have , been maintained. A 150°-ton < ship has been sunk and a col b i fnvepd to beach. In an an oattie over Wewak, six enemy planes were ■ shot down. Two ol our planes me , missing. ■ i SUPPLIES CONTROVERSY (Rec. 12.20 yORK Noy ‘ Americans are bewildered by the sharply conflicting reports on supph• and reinforcements oemg sent to the , South-west Pacific. In the past tew davs directly opposite views ha\ e been expressed on Allied strength m that theatre. Reviewing this necine 'war in the newspapers con- < oprning aid for General MacArthui, . the “New York Herald-Tribune” i points out that the statement by a headquarters spokesman flatl y tradicts a despatch Irom. Ouihn Spencer, the Associated Press corresnondent in the South-west Pacific, which touched off the controversy, and whfoh General MacArthuffs censorship passed. Spencer s message was to the effect that there had been an increase in men and supplies going to the South-west Pacific. The official spokesman later said that the supplies now being received m the South-west Pacific were much mo e than formerly, but were insufficient for a major offensive against the Ja The eS “Herald-Tribune” points out that there is obvious confusion between MacArthur’s South-west Pacific Command and the geographical area of the South-west Pacific containing also Admiral Halsey s South Pacific Command, which is well endowed with naval and aerial strength. “If there is an adequate force in that theatre no one cars a button what proportion is under General MacArthur and what is under Admiral Halsey, providing the whole is effectively used,” the papei adds. Further, whether General MacArthur is getting ten, twenty or anv other percentage of the totai ol the United States overseas resources is meaningless datum, unless one knows how much is going to each ol the other areas, and the broad, strategic conception determining ’distribution.” .. The paper says that the affair is probably in the nature of an energetic commander’s fight for greatei emphasis in his own theatre, ana concludes: “But when they conduct a battle in the newspapers before a public utterly ignorant of all the significant factors, it is hardly a salutary process.” GILBERTS AND MARSHALLS PEARL HARBOUR, Nov. 18. Army Liberator bombers on Monday afternoon raided Japanese targets on the Jaluit and Mili Islands and on atolls in the Marshall Islands; and on Makin Island in the Gilberts. Admiral Nimitzs communique says that one enemy snip was set on fire and three possibly hit in Jaluit Harbour. Many fires were started in hangars, workshops and fuel dumps on the Imieji and .labor Islands, off Jaluit. Several fires were ■ started on Mili. Clouds prevented accurate observation over Makin. The raiders, which returned undamaged, 1 did not meet any aerial opposition, but the ack-ack was intense over i Makin. The raiders, which returned ' undamaged, did not meet any aerial opposition, but the ack-ack was intense over Mili. The Japanese have a strong seaplane base and a good harbour at Jaluit, where the pilots saw seaplanes and many barges in addition to the transport attacked. ’ The United Press says that the at- . tucks apparently surprised the Jap- , anese, and demonstrated the ability • of the 7th Army Air Force's lanabased bombers to strike the enemy at will in the Marshalls and Gilberts.

Monday’s raids on these islands followed attacks on Saturday night and Sunday.

TORPEDO NULLIFIED

(Recd. 12.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 18. How a case of rations on a. little ship recently beat a Japanese torpedo was told by Admiral Halsey during a visit to the Treasury Islands recently occupied by • New Zealand troops. Th? torpedo struck the vessel, which was carrying stores. It

passed through one side of the ship and also through a case containing glutinous rations which fouled the firing mechanism, preventing the torpedo from exploding. Admiral Halsey expressed complete satisfaction with the recent big moves in the Southern Pacific and said their success had exceeded expectations. The Bougainville beachhead had been well established with formidable defences. He added: “My job is to kill Japanese—and more Japanese!’’ NEW ZEALAND OFFICERS WELLINGTON, Nov. 18. The following appointments of officers for the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Pacific are gazetted: —

Colonel W. W. Dove, M.C., to be temporary brigadier, while holding the appointment of officer in charge of administration, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Pacific, and base commandant. Major S. S. H. Berkeley and Major (temporary lieutenant-col-onel) F. C. Cornwall to be lieutenantcolonels. Captains L. G. Wotherspoon and A. M. Lamont to be majors. Major J. G. Warrington to be temporary lieutenant-colonel, while temporarily commanding a field regiment. Major V. F. Maxwell is appointed officer commanding base training depot. Majors A. J. D.. Morten and B<. G. Pringle o v e apnninted second' in command of battalions.