ALLIED BOMBING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20860, 12 August 1942, Page 3

ALLIED BOMBING

JAPANESE BASES EFFECT ON SOLOMONS TIMOR FLEET POUNDED (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (19.30 a.m.) SYDNEY. Aug. 12. The continued devastating raids by Allied bombers on enemy aerodromes at Lae, Salamaua and' Rabaul have had a highly important effect on the general operations in the Solomons. This was stated yesterday by the spokesman at General MacArthur’s headquarters. “No Australian ground troops are engaged in thq great battle which is now reaching its fourth day,” declared the spokesman, thus denying the previous cabled statements that Australian commando units were involved in the land fighting. Considerable significance attached to the Allied bombing raids on an enemy shipping concentration south of Timor, but no clear indication of the , battle raging on a huge front is yet available at the south-west Pacific Headquarters. Confirmation of Allied troop landings in the Solomons has given some encouragement to optimism here. Commenting that “too much must not be expected too quickly,” the Sun, in a leader, says: “If this operation is crowned with success and Japan loses control of the Solomons with all their facilities for air and submarine bases from which to harry, the east coast of this continent, the victory will be worth the losses. It will break any legend which may be fostered throughout Asia and in Japan concerning the invincibility of Japanese arms. It will be the beginning of the reverse process which, in time, will recover the Japanese conquests. It will give some immediate relief against Japanese threats to New Guinea and the east coast of Australia.”

Allied troops in Papua have engaged the Japanese and driven them back from prepared positions at Kokoda. Casualties were inflicted on the Japanese. This was announced in the communique from General MacArthur’s Headquarters issued yesterday which also reports attacks by Allied bombers on enemy shipping south of Timor. A medium-sized cargo vessel received three direct hits, was heavily damaged and left ablaze. Another smaller cargo ship was hit twice and probably sunk, while a large enemy destroyer was badly damaged by at least three direct hits. All the planes returned from this operation. Medium bombers maintained their attacks on enemy aerodromes in the Rabaul area. Large fires were started which were visible 50 miles away. An enemy bomber was destroyed.