PACIFIC ATTACKS

Grey River Argus, 3 April 1944, Page 5

PACIFIC ATTACKS

SPEEDED BY ALLIES HUGE JAP. PLANE LOSSES In South and Centre (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 8 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 2. Intensive offensive operations by ■ General MacArthur’s air forces have dealt new havoc to Japanese bases in the South-west and the Central Pacific areas of Truk, the Caroline Islands, and Hollandia, in Dutch New Guinea, where the strongest force of Liberators ever used against this target attacked on Friday morning. This resulted in seventy-one planes being destroyed, with eight others probably destroyed. This brings the total of Japanese plane losses at Hollandia in two days to 189 destroyed and fifteen others probably destroyed. Reparting the newest raid on Hollandia, General MacArthur’s communique today says: “Our escorted heavy units, continuing their attack, dropped 140 lons of bombs on enemy aerodromes, starting large fires with smoke rising to 15,000 feet. Fifty-seven planes were destroyed on the ground. Attempted interception cost the enemy fourteen others destroyed. Eight ' were probably destroyed. Our losses were extremely light. Only onethird of the enemy aircraft gathered at this base for aerial reinforcement now remain serviceable.” Linking with this further paralysing blow against Japanese air strength at Hollandia have been assaults against satellite New Guinea bases of Wewak, Aitane, Boga, Bunabuna and Uligan Harbour. Runways of all three airstrios at Tadji aerodrome, Aitape, were damaged, while installations' and barges were among the targets at Wewak. Meanwhile, in the Central Pacific, General MacArthur’s Solomon’s-based ( bombers have been co-operating with those of Admiral Nimitz’s command, operating from the Marshall Islands, to neutralise Japanese bases in the Carolines, thus assisting United States warships to roam enemy waters of the Western Pacific under only a minimum threat of Japanese counter air activity. Moen, Wolfai, and Dublon Islands, forming part of the Truk atoll, have been, hit by General MacArthur’s Liberators in dawn and midday raids. Smoke from fires in fuel storage areas at Dublon rose eight thousand feet. An attack on an aerodrome at Moen at midday on fhursday was' opposed by- forty Zeros, in an ensuing battle eleven Japanese fighters were shot down, with two others probably destroyed. One attacking Liberator was lost. Others ■were damaged. Wolfai airfield has also been a main target. Truk now has been raided by American based aircraft five times in xortyeight hours. . , . Solomon’s-based aircraft have also been active over other sectors of the South-west Pacific. Raiding Rabaul (New Britain) they attacked a' Japanese destroyer sheltering under camouflage in Keraviabay. It wa ; s the first enemy destroyer seen in the bav for weeks. Nine anti-aircraft guns on the foreshore were silenced. Further attacks on Japanese shipping included damage by a fighter attack to a two-thousand-ton vessel at Simber Island, in the Tabar Group, New Ireland. She was forced to beach. North o f Australia Beaufighters attacked enemy shipping at Kbenang, Timor Island. Three coastal vessels, two fuel laden barges and three small craft were destroyed, or damaged. , Naval units from the Solomons made their most northerly penetration to bombard the Greenwich Island Group. 335 miles north-west of Kavieng, New Ireland. They ■ caused heavy damage. In the Solomons other destroyers shelled Japanese positions near the American beach-head at. Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville Island. The latest Japanese fighter opposition reported over Rabaul was on March 15. Raids on Wewak (New Guinea) were reported in all but seven of MacArthur’s March communiques with a total bomload exceeding 2,500 tons.