CLOSER BLOCKADE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21067, 12 April 1943, Page 3

CLOSER BLOCKADE

JAPANESE BASES NEW GUINEA COAST ALLIES BATTER MADANG (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 12. An intensification of the Allied air blockade of the Japanese bases along the north-east coast of New Guinea, particularly those from Salamaua to Madang, is revealed in General MacArthur's communique issued during the week-end. Madang now follows Wewak as the enemy’s chief base in New Guinea. The reports indicate that the Japanese are further developing both Madang and Alexishafen, 12 miles north of Madang. as their front-line protection for their main base at Wewak. Recent air reconnaissance has shown that they have built a 1500 yd. air-strip at Alexishafen and are already constructing a second strip, giving them three aerodromes within 20 miles. From Madang, the road beginning at Wewak runs to Finschafen, from where supplies are being got to the beleagured enemy garrison on the Lae-Salamaua-Mubo triangle.

Various points along this supply line were under a devastating Allied air attack on both Friday and Saturday. Both Madang and Wewak have had their biggest raids. These attacks began on Friday, when Mitchell medium bombers, with a top cover of Lightning' fighters, bombed Madahg for nearly three hours. They destroyed six aircraft on the ground, blew up fuel and ammunition dumps, and damaged wharf installations, as well as silencing anti-aircraft guns. Photographs taken later in the day -bowed that smoke and flames were Till rising to 3000 ft.

General MacArthur’s communique tells how Beaulighters and Flying Portresses repeated and extended hese attacks on Saturday. Costly Reinforcements

The presence of enemy shipping and supply barges, which is reported .n the communique, indicates that the Japanese are continuing the steady, if costly, reinforcement of these bases. On Friday, at Alexishafen, where a launch and five loaded barges were strafed, one barge burst into dames and two others were left sinking. While these tactics are virtually uninterrupted by Japanese olanes, the building of new air-strips shows the enemy’s readiness to introduce heavy air power at an opporune moment. ■ -

That the enemy has the necessary aircraft available at strategic supply points is indicated by last Wednesday’s raid on American shipping, which was made by 98 planes. Previously the strongest air fleet employed oy the Japanese was against Darwin in February, when 89 planes took part. - i'

"The signs of an unprecedented Japanese air concentration in the northern Solomons may be significant for either the Solomons or the New Guinea area,” writes an Australian war correspondent from Guadalcanal'. General feeling among the American forces here is that another round in the battle of the south Pacific cannot .ong be delayed.” Strengthening Air Forces

However, the Americans are obviously reinforcing their Solomons positions against a possible enemy move, while the sustained weight of General MacArthur’s air attacks shows' his determination to prevent the Japanese from becoming successfully poised for a new offensive in the spring. . General MacArthur’s communique Issued on Sunday states: — .“Timor: Our medium units successfully bombed and strafed enemyoccupied villages of Ossu anc Viqueque, causing heavy damage and starting large fires. “Tenimber Islands, Saumlaki: One of our medium units bombed the enemy-occupied village of Laoerang. “Aru Islands, Dobo: One of our medium units raided the town. “New Britain, Arawe: One of our heavy units bombed the aerodrome. "New Guinea, Alexishafen-Madang: Our long-range fighters at dawn executed a low-level strafing sweep along the coast. At Alexishafen hangars, a power-house and other installations were swept with cannon and machine-gun fire. In Madang harbour a power barge was sunk and a waterfront area was thoroughly strafed, starting new fires which were still burning three hours later, with smoke rising to 4000 ft. Large fires started at the docks in the previous day’s raid were still burning. Later in the day our heavy units, in single attacks, bombed and strafed the aerodrome. There was anti-aircraft fare but no interception. Low-Level Sorties

“Bogia: Shortly after daylight our medium units executed a low-level bombing and strafing attack on the enemy’s ground installations, occupied barracks and villages in. the vicinity, and leaving a trail of fires throughout the area. Two direct bomb hits completely destroyed a battery of five heavy machine-guns. A nearby iuei servicing unit was set ablaze and surface" craft in the harbour were raked with heavy calibre maclune-o-un fire. At dusk one of our heavy units strafed eight large loaded power barges in the harbour, heavily damaging them and forcing them to be At dawn our heavy bombers attacked three times, dropping 30 tons of explosives on the seaplane base, aerodrome, wharf and shore installations, and shipping in the .harbour. Direct hits destroyed, a 1000-ton cargo vessel off the jetty. Another ship of 500 tons was seriously damaged by a 5001 b. b°ntb -coring either a direct hit or a near miss. ' A 1500-ton vessel five miles ff-shore was heavily strafed and set on fire. On the shore a large ammunition dump was blown up by a direct hit. Three searchlights and two ant.aircraft positions were put out or action and fires were left burning m h;-> town, aerodrome and seaplane base A lone enemy fighter was m’crcepted and was shot down in flames.” ——