300-TON ATTACK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21400, 10 May 1944, Page 3

300-TON ATTACK

ENEMY ISLAND BASES ALLIED BLOWS INCREASED DUTCH NEW~GUINEA ZONE (Special Australian Correspondent.) (10 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 9. Increasing Japanese opposition to Allied air blows west of Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea has necessitated the provision of a fighter escort for the Liberators striking at enemy bases in the Schouten Islands in Geelvink Bay. The Allied fighters are believed to come from the recently captured airfields at Hollandia. Of 12 Zeros which attempted interception on Sunday, nine were shot down without loss to our planes. Liberators over the same area on Saturday encountered 17 enemy fighters, shooting down one.

The heaviest air attacks reported by Allied Headquarters were on the Wakde-Sarmi area, about 100 miles west of Hollandia, which was hit by more than 100 Allied planes on Sunday. Mitchell and Liberator bombers dropped 295 tons of explosives. Airfields, bivouac and supply areas were heavily damaged and smoke from large fires covered the target. American casualties since the landings at Hollandia have been 28 killed in action or died of wounds and 95 wounded. About 800 enemy dead have now been counted in the area, while more than 150 Japanese have been taken prisoner. Allied planes continue to blast the Japanese trapped in the Wewak-Hansa Bay sector of British New Guinea and patrol torpedo-boats 1 are adding to the enemy’s troubles with damaging strikes. At Wewak on Friday night they destroyed five barges and strafed trucks on the coastal road. Liberators from bases in the Solomons bombed Woleai in the Caroline Islands on Saturday morning, destroying two aircraft on the ground. Liberators on Friday located an enemy convoy of five small vessels, 175 miles west of Truk and sank three. The ships were from 100 to 500 tons.