HEAVIER RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1942, Page 5

HEAVIER RAIDS

DARWIN AND MORESBY Enemy’s Tuesday Attacks BIGGEST “FLARE UP’ FOR LONG TIME. (Special).. (Rec. 11.40.) SYDNEY, June 17. On Tuesday there was a heavy enemy air raid, on Port Moresby. This raid was combined with a fourth successive enemy day snack on Port'Darwin. Tuesday’s fighting has been the biggest flare-up m the northern air war for many weeks. A fighter escort for Allied bombers, which made 'an attack in New Guinea on Lae, was provided, for the first time.. The need for such action has ion? been stressed and it has been made necessary by the high performance of the newest t„ Zero plane employed by the Japanese.

The attack on Port Darwin and Port Moresby on Tuesday have confounded the premature conclusions here that the Japanese air weight had been shifted from the north-east of Australia to the north-west of Timor Island. The Japanese show ability to deliver their blows in strength in both quarters. This has persuaded most of the commentators to take the view emphaisised by the New Zealand Press Correspondent yesterday—namely that the enemy retains powerful air strength throughout the South-west Pacific, and that he awaits only a more favourable opportunity for its employment. In their four latest raids on Port Darwin, the Japanese have sent over more than one hundred and sixty bombers and fighter planes. They have lost thirteen planes, while the Allies have lost six. Darwin has now had nineteen air raids. On Tuesday again the damage was light. The bombs dropped were mainly of the anti-personnel type, and incendaries.

Great courage is reported to have been displayd bv a subaltern and a sergeant. A fire occurred near a machine-gun post. They ran through the flames at least three times to drag out men who had been trapped. “Never have so many come so far for so little,” remarked a R.A.A.F. officer, when commenting on the. latest Japanese raids on Port Darwin. The most serious material losses at Darwin have beenjn the troops’ living quarters. ' * Australia is chuckling sympathetically at the misfortunes of a middleaged Englishman at Darwin, who rushed into a burning building immiately after the bombing. “I had seventlv beautiful quid tucked away.' he said, “but as soori as I got inside the door, my ammunition caught fire, and it started popping all over the place, so I gave up.”

Several Stern Battles EACH SIDES LOSES SIX PLANES. MORESBY AGAIN PROTECTED. (Rec. 12.0.) CANBERRA, June 17. A bie flare-up in, the air war to the north-east and the north-west of Australia is revealed in to-day’s South Pacific Headquarters, communique. The Japanese on Tuesday attacked heavily on two fronts, Pon Darwin, and Port Moresby. At the same time Allied air units strongly attacked Japanese bases at Koepang, Lae and Salamaua. Air battles were fought in all these areas concerned. It was particularly stern at Port Moresby, where four of the Allied fighter planes are missing. , The communique is as follows, Timor: Our air force successfully bombed the aerodrome at Koepang. Port Darwin: A strong enemy formation of twenty-seven heavy bombers, which were escorted by twenty-five Zero planes attacked the township and the harbour area. Damage was negligible. Our intercepting planes destroyed one bomber, and one fighter. We lost two pilots’ with their planes. Lae and Salamaua: Our air forces executed a heavy day and night attack on enemy air installations at these places, starting fires and scoring direct hits on the target area. . On the return from their mission the Allied bombers and their fighter escort! shot down four enemy planes. One of our fighters is missing. Port Moresby: In a sharp combat our intercepting force engaged a strong force of eighteen enemy fighter planes. destroyed four of them. Four of our planes are 1 missing. This action, fought against superior numbers, prevented an attack against ouri ground installations.