S.W. PACIFIC BOMBERS

Grey River Argus, 3 July 1944, Page 5

S.W. PACIFIC BOMBERS

Raid on Yap ENEMY RESISTANCE ON BIAK ISLAND. (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 6.30) SYDNEY, July 1. Yap Island, a Japanese bastion in the western Caroline Islands, had its heaviest raid last Wednesday. .For the 'fifth time in a week South-west Pacific Command Liberators made a two-thousand-mile round flight to attack Yap. In spite of opposition by 29 Japanese fighter planes, they dropped 63 tons of bombs m eleven minutes. Eight enemy fighters were shot down. Bombs fell among 12 planes parked on an airfield. No Liberators were lost. Adverse weather has hampered air activity in this theatre. General MacArthur’s week-end communique reports only limited operations. Casualtv figures just released reveal the fanatical nature of the resistance by the Japanese garrison of Biak Island in Geelvink Bay, Dutch New Guinea T’he Japanese killed totalled 2878 up to Wednesday, but only fifteen prisoners were taken. Th'e American casualties have been about ten per cent, of those inflicted on the enemy. The fierce defiance on ®iak Island suggests that the Allies are now meeting more seasoned enemy formations as they move closer to objectives that are vital to the Japanese.