ALLIED BOMBERS

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1943, Page 5

ALLIED BOMBERS

Again Raid Rabaul and Timor (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 9.30) SYDNEY, Feb. 24. There has been no let up in an incessant aerial pounding of Japanese shipping and aerodromes at oases north of Australia by planes of General MacArthur's Command Mr. Lewis Sebring, a “New York Herald-Tribune’’ war correspondent in the South-west Pacific,' revives tne recent ollicial Australian warnings by connecting these sustained attacks with a new and “imminent” enemy attempt to drive southward. Yesterday (Tuesday) Allied air attacks extended from Timor Island to New Britain. The enemy’s much bombed key base at Rabaul felt the heaviest weight of bombs, 5 hundred pounders from Flying Fortresses raining on the enemy’s warshipping concentration in the harbour. A cruiser or a heavy destroyer received three direct hits, while damaging near-misses were scored against a seven-thousand ton merchantman. Striking just before dawn, low-flying’ bombers also strafed two schooners and started large fires along the waterfront.

Liberator formations raided the Pensoai aerodrome, at Koepang, on Timor Island. They beat off ten intercepting Zeros to force home their attack. Two of the enemy fighters were shot down, and a third wlas probably destroyed. All the Liberators have returned to their base. At Toeal, in the Kai Islands, in the Banda Sea, (north-west of Timor), Hudson medium bombers destroyed the main enemy barracks building with direct hits. At least ten enemy-occupied villages in the Lae area in northern New Guinea have been attacked by Mitchells and Havocs. This constant bombing and strafing is forcing the Japanese, Iroops who were defeated in their attack on Wau some weeks ago still further back towards Mubo. The enemy has again been compelled to abandon forward positions. In the Maria River area, midway between Buna and Lae. in New Guinea, Havocs maintained an eight hour sweep. Canvas-covered Japanese fifty-foot barges, believed to contain stores were among the targets attacked.