NORTH OF AUSTRALIA

Grey River Argus, 5 June 1943, Page 5

NORTH OF AUSTRALIA

Allied Air Raids

OPPOSITION GREATER ON

THURSDAY.

(Rec. 9 pm.) SYDNEY, June 4. Increased Japanese lighter opposition to Allied bombing raids was encountered north of Australia on Thursday. In two skirmishes on Thursday the enemy lost two Zeros. Liberators, bombing Lautem, on the north coast of Timor Island were engaged by four Zeros. One Zero was shot down in flames. Shipping was the target for the attack on Lautem, which was made' before dawn but General MacArthur’s communique today does not report results. When a second force of Liberators was returning from a bombing raid on Babo, on McCleur Gull, in Dutch New Guinea it was intercepted by six. enemy float-planes, over Taberfane, at the south tip of the Aru islands. One noat-plane was destroyed A second wa’s damaged. From both raids all the Liberators returnpd "Medium bombers made a dawn raid in the Madang area in Northern New Guinea, with unstated results. A heavy reconnaissance bomber attackedi an undisclosed target in Jacouinto Bay on the south coast of New Britain. This was the full extent of the South-west Pacific air activity on Thursday reported in General MacArthur’s latest communique. Thunderstorms and extremely turbulent air conditions brought air operalions in the Solomons area to a nan. yesterday.