GERMANS NOT READY

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1942, Page 5

GERMANS NOT READY

SEVEN JAP. PLANES ' A Destroyed by Allies J j i ’?*■ < ?: ! ■ ? ' i ? i (Rec. 11.30).! SYDNEY, April 28. i A communique issued by the General Headquarters? says: The Japanese used seventeen’- (heavy \bo_mbers arid an escort iof( nine • Zero . fighters in another T a iri lon Port iDarwjn. Three of the Japanese .bombers, ana four of the fighters . destroyed in the raid. ' The Allied , losses were light. ■■ -■ .■' (-‘ ■ ’•'>? ~ . A ■ Melbourne message says that it is understood American pilots shot down all • the 11: enemy aeroplanes destroyed at Darwin in the raid which Was the first on: Darwin fOr three weeks. About . 100 bombs were drbpi ed,. causing ( slight damage and only a few casualties. LONDON, April 28. The latest Japanese-raid’- on Darwin, 1 taken' altogether, .Was ’ orie, of the longest and .fiercest engagements over this, base since .the operations began to the north, of Australia,; Although the: Japanese bombers:had'-a strong escqrt of fighters, they were given a' warm .reception .by. .. Allied fighters arid by accurate fire..: from the-ground. . ' -<■ ‘ ';■(' A series of ’ dogfights developed; and. after two .. bombers, had ; disap-nerii-ed in‘/cloud, two crashes were heard out at sea. An-enemy plane was .seen to strike the writer with its guns still blazing. It sank at once. The- Japanese.' .planefe;.. were engaged? for . Ifehgth. of ,tinie that -it' yas'; viVdrs had sufficient ’petrol • left for them to reach their base. It is reported from* an advanced Allied base, that the outstanding feature of the aerial warfare over Port Moresby, which has become intensified during; the past few days, is increasing Fighter support provided for the Japanese bombers, apparently in the hope of crushing the Allied Fighter opposition, .preparatory to an’all-out attack.’ . ’ .Thjs seems , to; indicate, says a Melbourne correspondent, that Japanese air and .ground reinforcements have arrived by sea • ait , advance bases, notably at Rabaul. ♦ where transports - were recently observed. It is possible that during the period of this reinforcement, the Japanese are conserving their aircraft strength, in : preparation for a major operation which 1 may '• be launched shortly. ALLIES RAID KAVIENG. (Rec. 12.0). LONDON April 28. A South-west Pacific H.EIQ. communique states: ‘‘Our-Air Force attacked enemy shipping at Kayieng, in New Ireland Island, east of New Guinea, and destroyed one transport,