Untitled

Grey River Argus, 29 June 1943, Page 4

! __ Heavy Over Week-end 1 \\ (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) 10.35) SYDNEY, June 28. (During the week-end General MacArthur's bombers concentrated the njain weight of their attacks on the Markham Valley - Salamaua-Mubo ai'ea of New Guinea. On Sunday, rands followed Saturday’s record attack on Lae. The largest force of Mitchell medium bombers ever employed in the South-west Pacific on any single mission other than that in the Bismarck Sea battle, made the raid on Saturday. Strong formations of Mitchells on Sunday struck at S'alamaua and enemy-occupied villages in the Markham Valley-Ramu River sector. Heavy damage was done.

Earlier this month there was an exchange of raids by the opposing air forces on target; in this area, which is inland from Madang. Boston attack planes were active on Sunday in support of Australian troops fighting in the Mubo sector of New Guinea! They strafed Japanesel positions, i The scale of the land fighting in the Mubo area seems to have subsided temporarily. The opposing forces are, however reported to have exchanged mortar fire during the week-end. The Japanese recently lost more than two hundred men in the fighting around Mubo! A reconnaissance bomber over the Solomons Sea attacked, a small Japanese cargo ship with a destroyer escort, south-west of the Buka Passage separating the Buka and Bougainville islands. Damaging near misses were scored with two bombs and the decks of both vessels were strafed from a low altitude.

A remarkable feat, that of shooting down five Japanese fighters and probably destroying a sixth, was performed by an American Lightning pilot in a big battle over Guada'lcanar on June 16 last, when. ninety-six of 120 bombers and fighters were destroyed. The pilot, who became an ace within three-quarters of an hour was Lieutenant Murray Shubin. He was the leader of a flight of tour Lightnings, which attacked a group of Zeros. Ultimately, Shubin was left alone to fight off five Zeros. An infantry captain, who watched the dogfights through his binoculars, confirmed Shubin’s claim to have destroyed all five of the enemy fighters.

Time for “Clean Up'” IN NEW GUINEA. MACARTHUR’S FORCES READY. (Rec. 10.30) NEW YORK, June 28. The “New York Times” in an editorial said: “Fighting weather has come again, in the Southern Pacific area. The initiative is ours, and we must use it soon.” The paper points out that ground fighting in the South Pacific area has been virtually suspended since last February, while Allied strength has been greatly built up in the intervening period. The paper also points out that last week there was .a sharp Japanese thrust in the Mubo area. It suggests .'that General MacArthur’s ■forces are in a position to open a campaign for the capture of S'alamaua arid Lae, and then to push on up the New Guinea coast until they control Vitiaz Strait, between New Guinea and New Britain. The (‘New York Times ’ military writer, Mr. Hanson Baldwin, says: “The Allies now probably have the necessary naval strength in the S'outh Pacific, plus ground and air strength to carry through an offensive operation.” He declares:' “Salamaua and Lae ought to be cleaned out as a necessary preparation to the conquering or the neutralising of Rabaul. This should be done, whether or not the Southern Pacific area is to become an offensive one. Obvious approaches to Rabaul are from \ the northern New Guinea coast and Ifom Tulagi’ and Gudalcanar islands in the I Solomons.” • “TIMES” AGREES. 1 JAPS STILL A MENACE. I (Rec. 10.50) LONDON, June Discussing the Southern Pa'cihc situation, the London “Times” says |n an editorial: “The Japanese are vefiW strong.” j The paper als 0 anticipates an early resumption of the land fighting. rt declares: “The presence of the formidable Japanese strength so close to Australia still constitutes a danger to Australia’s outpost defences, which the Allies have good reason for liquidating.” U.S. SOLOMONS RAIDS RUGBY, June 27. The United States Navy reports that on Saturday a formation of Liberators attacked Japanese positions on Balle Island, in the Shortland area, a number of fires being started. At the same time another formation of Liberators attacked Japanese positions south' of Shortland Island. The results were not observed. Later, dive-bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked Villa, in the Kolombangara IslanV/,No planes were lost, \