NINE JAP. BASES

Grey River Argus, 26 March 1943, Page 5

NINE JAP. BASES

RAIDED ON WEDNESDAY Around New Guinea MU,BO SEVERELY STRAFED. '■Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Rec. 7.0.) SYDNEY, March 25. General MacArthur’s communique issued to-day was as follows:— NORTH-WESTERN SECTOR. Dutch New Guinea-Kaimana: Our' medium bombers attacked enemy j shipping, scoring a hit on a 5,000-ton; merchantman, and a near miss; against a small ship. Three enemy aircraft attempted interception, but, were driven off. One of them was damaged. I Kai Islands: In successive attacks, two formations of our medium bombers swept through the island group, causing heavy damage by low-level bombing and strafing at the enemy-' occupied towns of Langgoer and Faan, and -imaJch'fne-gunriing Koolfeer and other villages to the south. Two small - coastal vessels were also strafed and seriously damaged. Aroe Island-Dobo: One of our medium units bombed the town. NORTH-EASTERN SECTOR. Solomons-Buka: Our medium bombers executed a two-hour night harassing raid over the area, dropping bombs intermittently on the aerodrome, runway and dispersal bays. New Britain-Gasmata: During the night one of our medium units bombed and strafed the aerodrome. During the day one of our heavy units repeated the attack. New Guinea-Wewak: One of our heavy reconnaissance units was .attacked over'the harbour by three enemy fighters. Within five minutes it shot the tail off one. which crashed on a mountain; and shot another out of combat; without sustaining damage. Finschhafen: One of our heavy bombers strafed the aerodrome and the town. Lae: One of our heavy units bombed a building area and adjacent aerodrome. Mubo: Our attack ’planes and long-range fighters, in succession, swept over hostile positions, bombing from a low altitude and thoroughly strafing the area, firing thirty thousand rounds of cannon and ma-chine-gun fire in forty-four passes. Machine-gun positions were silenced, and tents and buildings were damaged or destroyed. The area was enveloped in smoke following the attack. Anti-aircraft fire was encountered, but not interception. All of our ’planes returned. jap~aiFraids In New Guinea (Rec. 7.0.) SYDNEY, March 25. General MacArthur’s communique to-day stated:— At Oro’ Bay, in the New . Guinea area, under cover of darkness a single enemy plane raided the area. It dropped three bombs, which fell harmlessly in the Bay, before being driven off bv our anti-aircrafters. At Milne Bay, Papua, three enemy bombers made two runs over the area shortly after midnight. They caused neither damage nor casualties.