GASMATA BLITZED

Grey River Argus, 16 December 1943, Page 5

GASMATA BLITZED

RECORD BOMB-LOAD Also Rabaul Drome (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 8.55) SYDNEY, Dec. 15. On Monday there was a smashing attack on the important Japanese supply base of Gasmata, in Southern New Britain Island. Allied bombers dropped 248 tons of high explosives. This was the heaviest bomb load of the war in the South-west Pacific area. More than one hundred planes including Liberators and Mitchell bombers, with a strong cover of Lightning fighters, took part. Great devastation was caused among buildings, installations, and supply dumps, and huge ifires were left burning. All the Allied planes returned, after shooting down two out of nineteen intercepting Japanese fighters. Gasmata is about two hundred air miles from Rabaul. Recent Allied raids upon this target and at satellite bases at Cape Gloucester and Borgen Bay, have been the heaviest air strikes made in the South-west Pacific since the series of paralysing blows against Rabaul in October. At the same time as Monday’s attack on Gasmata, Australia's Beau; forts heavily, bombed the Lakunai aerodrome at Rabaul. Cape Gloucester was also attacked. Early on Monday a Catalina on reconnaissance off the west coast. of New Ireland Island sank a four-thousand-ton Japanese cargo ship; There has been 'no maloi? activity in .the Solomons,, apart from continued bombing and; strafing attacks against the enemy; positions on Bougainville. .