147 JAP PLANES

Grey River Argus, 20 October 1943, Page 5

147 JAP PLANES

LOST IN THREE DAYS 49 More Probables SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC OPERATIONS. ■ (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) SYDNEY, Oct. 19. A further attempt by the Japanese to avenge their Rabaul losses by attack on Allied, shipping at Oro Bay, Northern. New.- Guinea, has been frustrated by General MacArthilr’s fighters, which shot down 24 out of 35 ’planes engaged. Six more were probably destroyed. Four Allied fighters were lost. The pilot of one was saved. , Allied medium bombers attacking Wewak aerodrome destroyed 15 Japanese aircraft, caught on the ground, and shot down four intercepting fighters. Near Rabaul. an Allied heavy reconnaissance unit sank an enemy submarine chaser with four direct hits by five hundred pound bombs. Near Kavieng a 7,000-ton cargo ship was damaged by bombing. At Buin, Bougainville Island, Admiral Halsey’s bombers destroyed a small coastal vessel and troop-laden barge. (Rec. 8.15) SYDNEY, Oct. 19. In three days 147 Japanese planes have been destroyed in the South-west Pacific area an additional 49 have been probably destroyed. General MacArthur’s communique to-day reports destruction of 43 enemy, aircraft in New Guinea, while six others probably were 'destroyed. Of these 24 were shot down on Sunday when 35 enemy fighters tried to raid Au.eu shipping at Oro Bay. The remaining 19 were aididitional planes destroyed in Saturday’s Allied attack on We wax. The Japanese raid on Oro Bay was their second raid there in three days. The two raids cost the Japanese 71) planes (26 bombers and 44 fighters) destroyed, while 17 were probably destroyed. No damage has been done to Allied shipping. Enemy fighters attempted a strafing attack on Sunday. They were able to come no lower than 17,000 feet, from which altitude strafing is impossible. Lightnings shot down 13 enemy planes. Six others probably were destroyed. Kittyhawks destroyed one. Twelve Japanese fighters that were fleeing from battle were overtaken by other Lightnings, 10 more being destroyed. Four of the Allied fighters were lost. One pilot is sate. In Saturday’s Allied raid on Wewak the enemy’s losses were higher than at first reported. It is now revealed that a formation of Mitchell medium bombers destroyed 15 additional enemy aircraft on the ground, and shot down four interceptors. This brings the total of Japanese planes destroyed at Wewak on Saturday co 44, while 15 others probably were destroyed. A war correspondent in the Solomon Islands reports that during the month of September, South Pacific Command aircraft destroyed 161 Japanese planes. Seven more were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire. The Allied losses in the same period were approximately as one to four, or 42.

From the start of the New Georgia campaign on July 27 last, Allied pilots in the Solomons shot down 396 Japanese planes, and anti-aircraft fire accounted for 32 more. Since the Americans first landed on Guadalcanar Island on August 7 of last year, 1780 Japanese planes have been definitely destroyed in the South Pacific Command area. The total of the xAllied aircraft losses in that time has been less than 25 per cent.