RABAUL BLITZED

Grey River Argus, 25 March 1943, Page 5

RABAUL BLITZED

250 PLANES CAUGHT ON THREE DROMES Seven Other Bases Also Attacked (Spec’al to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 9.10.) SYDNEY March 24. A Japanese concentration of more than 250 ’planes on the Rabaul aerodromes was dealt a crippling blow by a three-wave Flying Fortress attack before dawn on Tuesday. The exact toll of these attacks, which were among the biggest yet made on this key enemy South Pacific base, was obscured by a dense pall.of smoke over the target areas but official reports declare that ‘a substantial proportion” of the enemy planes was destroyed. The concentration of enemy ’planes, comprising mainly fighters, was probably the greatest one ever amassed on the three Rabaul aerodromes,' and when it was sighted, no time was lost in gathering our bombers for a raid. . . The aggregations, in the order oi size, were as follows*(1) Kalunai Field (which stretches across the peninsula between Simpson Harbour and. Matpui Bay); (2) Vunakanau Field, inland from Keravia Bay; (3) Rapopo Field, the most distant aerodrome from Rabaul, on the extreme southerly arm of Blanche Bay. . . .. The first wave of Fortresses, striking at 3.20 a.m. on Tuesday, concentrated on Lakunai ’drome for half an hour. Then the second wave attacked Rapopo ’drome, remaining over the target for an hour. The third attack, on Vunakanau ’drome, was the longest of the three. The entire raid lasted more than two hours. , , Despite the anti-aircraft barrage, which is deserbied as having been “murderously fierce,” all of our bombers returned to ..their base. Several of them were damaged. As well as destroying grounded aircraft, fifty-four tons of bombs, including many 2,000-pounders, must have caused substantial damage to the aerodromes themselves.

' Liberators made two harrassing raids on the Gasmata aerodrome. These followed a heavy attack on Monday night, when months of developmental work on this field was wrecked. The Japanese have used Gasmata as a. refuelling base for their bombers returning from missions to New Guinea, and for fighters protecting their convoys from Rabaul, but the sustained hammering which the aerodrome has had will restrict its use for some time. Two-thousand-pound bombs dropped on these aerodromes have torn huge cavities on the runways, which will necessitate considerable work in refilling and resurfacing.

The Official Report ENEMY SHIPS ATTACKED. (Rec. 9.10.) SYDNEY, March 24 General MacArthur’s Headquarter’s communique issued to-day is as follows — NORTH-WESTERN SECTOR. Babar Island-Masela: Our medium bombers strafed an enemy coastal Ve Tanimbar Island-Saumlako: Our medium units bombed the town area. NORTH-EASTERN SECTOR. Admiralty Islands-Lorengau: One of our heavy units bombed an enemy schooner in the harbour. New Britain-Rabaul: Our day reconnaissance showed a heavy concentration of more than 250 enemy ’planes at the Lakunai, Vunakanau and Rapopo aerodromes. In the face of fierce anti-aircraft and searchlight barrages, our heavy bombers attacked, last night, in a series of co-ordinated strikes. Fortyfour tons of bombs, ranging from 2,000-pounders to fragmentation and incendiary ones, were dropped on runways, dispersal areas, installations, searchlight and gun positions for one and a-half hours. Fires imi mediately broke out in all of the target areas, rising and multiplying las our aircraft increased their pressure and columns of smoke reaching thousands of feet into the air. Congested aircraft on the ground were repeatedly hit, and it w'as apparent that the attack destroyed or damaged a substantial proportion of this pack. Several of oup ’planes were damaged, but they all returned to the base. Cape Gazelle: Our heavy bombers, returning from the raid on Rabaul, strafed and set on fire a ten thou-sand-ton transport. Gasmata: Two harassing night attacks were made by our bombers on the aerodrome.

Borgen Bay: Reconnaissance reveals that an enemy cargo ship, heavily damaged by our air attack two days ago, definitely sank. An oil slick covers the bay. New Guinea-Salamaua: In conditions of heavy- rain and low’ cloud, our attack units, at dawn, from a low level bombed and strafed the isthmus. Poor visibility prevented observations of the results. Later in the morning, our medium bombers executed a strafing sweep over the area, machine-gunning enemy barges in the Labu Lagoon, bivouac localities in the Markham Valley, and buildings in the Salamaua township. Several hours later, one of our heavy units bombed the aerodrome. No interception was encountered throughout the day. Mubo: Our attack ’planes and long-range fighters, at a low altitude, swept over the area during the morning, executing six bombing runs and twenty-seven strafing passes against enemy-held positions. Antiaircraft fire was encountered, but there was no interception. All of our ’planes returned.