JAP. CONVOY LOST

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 September 1944, Page 4

JAP. CONVOY LOST

52 VESSELS—6B PLANES

PHILIPPINES SUCCESS

(Recd. 1.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON,; Sept. 11. A carrier task force destroyed an entire Japanese convoy of 52 vessels and also destroyed 68 planes, and heavily bombed enemy installations on Mindanao Island, in the Philippines, on Friday. A Pacific Fleet communique says: Carrier-based aircraft struck enemy airfields and other military objectives on Mindanao, bombing and strafing airfields at De Monte, Valencia, Cagayan, Buayan and Davao. Enemy aircraft were encountered near our carriers, five over Cagayan and one over Davao, all being shot down. Approximately 60 enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Barracks, warehouses and hangars were hit at the several aerodromes attacked. Enemy waterfront installations at Matina, Cagayan and Surigao were also bombed. The convoy was discovered off Hinatuan Bay, consisting of- 32 loaded coastal cargo ships and 20 sampans. Pacific Fleet cruisers, destroyers, and carrier aircraft brought the convoy under attack, destroying all the enemy ships. In addition, enemy shipping found in Sargan Bay, Davao Gulf, also near Cagayan and Surigao, was attacked, resulting in tne sinking or probable sinking of 16 small cargoships. one medium cargo ship, one patrol craft, and many sampans, and the setting on fire of small cargo ships and at least 17 s’ampans. Our aircraft losses in the operations were very light, and our surface ships were undamaged. MORE JAP. SHIPS SUNK. WASHINGTON, September 11. A Navy communique announces that United States submarines in the Pacific and Far East sank one destroyer, one escort vessel, one gunboat, four medium cargo vessels, and two small tankers. OTHER EFFECTIVE ATTACKS. (N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Corrosponitnnt i SYDNEY, Sept. 11. Allied air attacks on important Japanese bases in the southern Philippines, the Celebes, and the Moluccas are increasing in size and frequency. Tokio radio has again expressed the fear that an Allied invasion of the Philippines is imminent. Coincidental with this warning General MacArthur’s bombers on Friday made their heaviest raid on targets in the northern Celebes, which forms one of Japan’s main eastern Pacific defences. They pounded Langoan airfield, prepared by the Japanese to provide air cover for their shipping in the sealanes of the southern Philippines. The attack followed Thursday’s record raid on Manado, the enemy, transhipping centre in the northern Celebes, when warehouses and dock areas were smashed with 150 tons of bombs. In six days Allied bombers have delivered more than 550 tons of explosives on Celebes targets. Liberator formations carried out Friday’s raid. They destroyed three parked twin-engined aeroplanes, damaged runways, and blew up buildings and fuel dumps. Escorting Lightnings encountered no Japanese fighter opposition.

United States Navy Catalina flying boats, patrolling shipping routes in southern Philippines waters, on Friday night secured their biggest prey in weeks when they sank a 10,000-ton tanker. The ship, which was hugging the coastline near Zamboanga (Mindanao) was left blazing and settling in -the water after several direct hits. Four aerial strikes were made on Friday against Halmahera, midway between New Guinea and the Philippines. Airfields, shipping, and storage areas were the targets. Kai Islands, a possible escape haven for Japanese 2nd Army troops attempting to break out of the Allied trap in Dutch New Guinea, have also been raided, the objectives being four airfields. Five parked aeroplanes were destroyed.

FURTHER BOMBINGS

SYDNEY, September 12. Allied night air patrols over the Southern Philippines have inflicted further damage on Japanese shipping, scoring direct bomb hits on two 7000-ton merchantmen. An enemy airfield in the Northern Celebes has been raided with more than 150 tons of bombs, making the total bomb load delivered on the targets in this area during the past week more than 700 tons. When 10 Japanese bombers raided Allied airfields on ' Owi and Biak Islands (Dutch New Guinea) at night two were shot down by American night fighters. This was the largest Japanese offensive air activity in the South-west Pacific for some time.

SAIPAN COMMANDER

WASHINGTON, September 10

Lieutenant-General Holland Smith, commanding general of the Saipan operations, told a Press conference that unfortunately circumstances had forced him to relieve Major-General Ralph Smith of his post as commander of the ground forces on Saipan. Lieutenant-General Smith declined to elaborate his statement and referred correspondents to the War Department. However, the department declined to comment.

The Associated Press says that military circles in Washington say that Lieutenant-General Holland Smith, who is a marine, and Major-General Ralph Smith, who is an Army general, disagreed on the methods of conducting the campaign. LieutenantGeneral Holland Smith favoured quick, hard drives to end the operations as quickly as possible, but Major-General Ralph Smith advocated a slow and more cautious campaign. GENERAL STILWELL. CHUNGKING September 11. General Stilwell, Commander of the United States armies in Burma, India, and China, has left for the United States' for a conference on plans for the forthcoming offensive against Japan. Before leaving he said he would make short work of the Japanese, however strong their position might be, after the defeat of the Germans.