JAP BASES

Grey River Argus, 27 January 1943, Page 5

JAP BASES

again bombed Vessels Hit at Rabaul [Special to N.Z. Press Assn.j (Rec. 11.10.‘ SYDNEY. Jan. 26. Diving through an intense antiaircraft barrage and a searchlight screen to as low as two hundred feet, Flying Fortresses of General MacArthur’s Command scored direct hits on two Japanese ships in Rabaul harbour early on Monday morning. ri two thousand-ton munitions ship exploded, while a large hole was torn in the side of another medium-sized merchantman. This was the seventh ( raid on Rabaul in nine days. The present air activity in both the South-west Pacific and the South Pacific Command areas is the greatest to date. The most regular target for the recent attacks has been the enemy’s base at Lae. Many thous-and-pound bfimbs were dropped there with devastating effect, in building and supply dump areas in a raid on Monday. . Some observers suggest that these persistent attacks on Lae are forcin the Japanese to divert their main New Guinea strength to Wewak, which is nearly four hundred miles west of Lae. Considerable enemy fighter opposition has been encountered recently in the Wewak area. In contrast, little Japanese fighter opposition has been met over the nearer bases of Madang and Finshhafen, which have also been under frequent attack;. Harbour installations at Finschhafen were raided on Monday. JAP RAIDS ON MORESBY AND MILNE BAY. (Rec. U.20.‘ SYDNEY, Jan. 26. Japanese aircraft made further light night raids on Port Moresby and on Miln e Bay, causing negligi. damage. SLOWPROGRESS Papuan Campaign DISEASE AND LACK OF SHIPS [Special to N.Z. Press Assn.j SYDYNEY, Jan. 26 Three factors combined to prolong the Allied Papuan offensive in Papua, into a four months’ campaign, says the Sydney “Daily _ Telegraph”. “Firstly, there was the blind fanatical tenacity of the Japanese who held on to strongpoints long after resistance was demonstrated to be futile. Secondly, there was the wastage of soldiers through disease, which caused‘more damage than the enemy. The third factor delaying Allied success was lack of naval forces —warships and transports. The menace of disease is the most serious factor to contend with in an island-hopping offensive against Japan. For every man put out of action bv a Japanese bullet, two would fall out with jungle ailments, and these losses would be continuing right up to Formosa. “The Papuan campaign has shown that the island-hopping offensive is the costliest, slowest., and least effective way of getting at the Japanese,” declares the “Sydney^Telegraph,” editorially to-day. “We have not yet begun to win the Pacific war, and will not do so until we combine against the Japanese powerful forces based on China and the Aleutian Islands, and considerably better equipped and larger land, air and sea forces are based on Australia.”

The value of the island-hopping offensive against the-Japanese has also been stressed by the British Labour peer and naval expert, Lord Strabolgi, writing in “Reynolds News.” He says a direct attack on Japan through China as the only practical way of finishing off the Japanese. “This is the strategy the Allies are bound to adopt, sooner or later,” he adds. “Protected fighting both in the Solomons and New Guinea should warn us against the oft-pro-claimed intention of re-conquering the many groups bfj' Jiapanese-held islands between Australia and the China Sea. It would be too bl'oodv r business altogether.” TO DIVE-BOMB JAPS AUSTRALIANS IN TRAINING. [Special to N.Z. Press AssnJ (Rec. 10.30.) SYDNEY. Jan. 26. Royal Australian Air Force pilots are being instructed in dive-bomnmg tactics at the Largest instruction school of its kind in the South Pacific The students are all experienced flyers. who have been specially selected to .master the technique of this most exacting of all flying operations. Australian-built “Wirraway” ’planes are proving well suited /for dive,'ijombing. As each contingent completes its training, the instructors and trainees are posted together to operational stations. Experienced dive-bomber pilots are recalled from forward areas to take charge of the succeeding group of trainees. Since dive-bombing is designed essentially for offensive warfare, the news of the expansion of this arm of the R.A.A.F. points to a quickening of the Allied, air offensive in. the north of Australia. Dive-bombing is a most accurate form of aerial bombardment. It is particularly effective against shipping and fixed land defences.