NEW GUINEA FRONT

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1943, Page 5

NEW GUINEA FRONT

Raid on Oro Bay ALLIES ACTIVE OVER NEW BRITAIN. (Rec 9.20.) SYDNEY. May 20. Oro Bay, art Allied base on the north coast of Papua had its tenth raid on Tuesday night, when nine enemy planes dropped twenty bombs ineffectually along the coast as far as Cape Sudest, six miles away. Our anti-aircraft gunners shot flown one bomber. Less than half an hour earlier an attack by a small force of enemy aircraft on Douglas Harbour, near Cape Wardhuht. on the north western Papuan coast had nuisance value only.- This was the first, attack on Douglas Bav. and was probably directed against Allied troops stationed in the area. _ General MacArthur’s communique to-day, which announces these operations, also reports Allied raids on Gasmata, Cape Gloucester, and New Britain. Three attacks were made on Gasmata by single Flying Fortresses. Raid on Koepang JAP. ’PLANES~DESTROYED. (Rec. 9.20.) ' SYDNEY, May 20. Three J’apanese bombers and one fighter were destroyed or damaged on the ground in an Allied Beau fighter attack on Penfoei airfield at Koeoang, in Timor on Wednesday. Of e’ight Zeros which intercepted our attack, three were destroyed, and two were probably destroyed. ~hre Beaufighters are missing. Flying five hundred miles to Koeoang in darkness, Beaufighters struck at dawn. They pressed their attack at almost ground level, which made * them vulnerable targets for the area s heavy anti-aircraft defences. Three hours later followed our long-range fighters, and started fires i among buildings. All the Liberators i returned to their base.