Hammering Chain of Jap Airfields

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 24, 29 January 1943, Page 5

Hammering Chain of Jap Airfields

New Names Come Into Picture

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) Received Thursday, 10.30 p.m. SYDNEY, Jan. 28. Further evidence of the forging of a great chain of Japanese airfields and naval anchorages nortn and norfcn-east of Australia is contained in General 'MacArthur’s latest operational report. The Allied Air Forces in the past 24 hours attacked enemy bases not previously mentioned in communiques. Jap air activity has been light but a small Allied merchant vessel is reported to have been sunk by enemy bombers off Wessel Island near the northeastern tip ,of Arnheim Land. Casualties ameng the crew were light. The new enemy bases attacked in- ! eluded Faan and Roematt (Kai Island) ( and Aru Island in the Arafura Sea. Buildings and a jetty in the areas were bombed by Hudsons at Faan and Roe-j matt while another formation of Hudsons bombed and machine-gunned enemy surface craft at Dobo, a direct bomb hit being scored on a lugger. To the north-east of Australia a raid reported to-day by Halsey’s bombers on Ballale was the first disclosure that the Japs had succeeded in establishing an airfield on that island. Ballale is three miles north-east of Shortland and 295 miles north-west of Henderson airfield on Guadalcanal-. The Main Jap New Guinea bases of Lae and Salamaua were again heavily raided by Mitchells and Havocs with a Lightning escort. Beaufighters strafed the N.crth New Guinea coast around the mouth of the Waria River between Mambare River and Salamaua. The 103rd Japanese raid on Port Moresby was made by three bombers early on Wednesday morning. One of the attacking planes was hit by an Allied fighter and probably faited to reach its base.

The implication of the continued widespread Allied bombing activity is that the Japanese are making rapid progress in forging a chain of island bases. This arc swings down from the Celebes through Timor, Kei, Aru and i Tenimber islands, along the North New Guinea coast and out through Newj Britain to the Northern on' the eastern flank.

“With the Papuan campaign in full swing and the spotlight focussed on the grim struggle for jungle strongpoints the activity in these islands was eclipsed by the more spectacular wrlces the Sydney Sun’s South-west Pacific correspondent, “but the Japanese had not forgotten about them and the enemy has been steadily building up for whatever he plans next.”