SOUTH PACIFIC WAR

Grey River Argus, 13 May 1943, Page 5

SOUTH PACIFIC WAR

JAP AIR ACTIVITY

Over North Australia

ALLIED RAIDS IWAINTANED.

ENEMY LOSSES HIGH IN MUBO FIGHTING.

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 9.15) SYDNEY, May 12.

Japanese air activity continues over Northern Australia. Following close on their attack on Allied shipping near Millingimbi, reported in General MacArthur’s communique on Tuesday, three enemy floatplanes have attempted to attack ships off Cape Wessel on the easternmost tip of Arnhem Land. No damage was done to ships, and a single Beauiighter shot down one of the floatplanes.

Flying Fortresses and 'Liberators battled through heavy weather to make a pre-dawn raid on the Vunakamau aerodrope at Rabaul on Tuesday, starting fires visible for sixty miles. A series of blazes in dispersal areas indicated probable burning of enemy aircraft. In daylight Bostons bombed and machine-gunned a building at Arawe on the south, and an aerodrome at Cape Gloucester, on the north-west coast of New Britain.

In New Guinea Allied aircraft are maintaining their attacks on Madang. A Liberator on reconnaissance over Alexishafen, eleven miles north of Madang, found a group of barges in Sek Harbour and machine-gunned them with unstated results. Alexishafen for many years was the centre of Roman Catholic Mission activities in north-east New Guinea, and has a line cathedral, technical school, and training farm for natives. Thwarted in their attempts to move large convoys to the north New Guinea coast the Japanese are sneaking single ships into harbours and distriouting . cargoes to other supply centres by using power barges, which keep close to the coast for protection.

Nine Japanese bombers which were ever Merauke, an Allied base on the south New Guinea coast, caused some damage and casualties. The Mappie River post which was raided by Japanese planes on Monday is about one hundred miles north of Merauke. In New Guinea, land lighting around Mubo has intensifled. Clashes between opposing forward elements have been reported in the Green’s Hill area. A spokesman at Allied Headquarters said that enemy casualties in these clashes are believed to have been severe.

“Spiritual Strength” CLAIM FOR JAP AIR FORCE

NEW YORK, May 8

General Ashinari Uchida, Director of Military Aviation, broadcasting over the Tokio radio, said the Japanese Air Force was inferior in technical knowledge but superior in spiritual strength, to the Americans. He appealed for greater efforts for Japanese war production, because Japan must bomb the American mainland, and the Pacific war would soon be entering the critical phase, which will determine whether Japan would eat or be eaten.

; U.S. BOMBING RAIDS fe RUGBY, May, 11. M The United States Navy Department states: “Tn the Pacific on May TO, a force of Dauntless Avengers, escorted by Corsairs, Wildcats, and Lightnings, attacked the Japanese installations at Munda. Hits were scored on enemy positions and several fires started. Similar attacks were made on Japanese positions at Vangavanga on the south-west coast of Kolombangara Island. All the United States planes returned safely.