Sharks Start Where Bombers Leave Off

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 55, 6 March 1943, Page 5

Sharks Start Where Bombers Leave Off

Convoy Plane Losses Now Reach Ninety (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) Received Friday, 9.50 p.m. SYDNEY, Mar. 5. The sinking of two crippled destroyers at dawn on Thursday, completed the annihilation of the Japanese convoy endeavouring to force a landing at Lae, New Guinea. Four Zeros attempting to drive oif our attacking bombers, were also destroyed. Three transports which were burning at dusk on Wednesday had gone down overnight. The destruction of the last Japanese warship was not the final chapter in the battle of the Bismarck Sea. A great air battle developed over Lae on Thursday when 23 Japanese fighters were destroyed or severely damaged, bringing the enemy plane losses during the past three days to more than 90. Allied aircraft have also maintained patrols over the Bismarck Sea and Huon Gulf where some power barges and lifeboats filled with survivors were discovered endeavouring to reach shore near Finschhafen. The boats were strafed and destroyed with all aboard.

While it is just possible that a few troops from the wrecked ships have reached New Guinea in small craft, such reinforcements would prove a liability and not an asset to the Japanese garrisons already in the area. Their numbers must inevitably be small—and the thousands of tons of stores and equipment which were carried by the big convoy leaving Rabaul on March 1, were perhaps even more important to the Japanese in New Guinea than the 15,000 troop reinforcements. There is, however, no definite report of any convoy survivors having got ashore. “Everything that came into the area has been eliminated,” declared a general headquarter’s spokesman to-day. Miles of floating debris, smashed boats and bodies and great patches of oil, are the only signs of the enemy’s proud convoy of 22 ships. Our airmen sweeping low over the water saw monster sharks cruising amongst the wreckage. Allied aircraft kept Up their attacks against the enemy personnel so long as any sizeable force remained. The enemy defeat was to the last man as well as to the last boat.

One of the grimmest messages from our attacking planes was received early on Thursday morning. It said: “In this area 100 miles from Salamana, there were about 500 men with battle equipment in the water. There were only 200 when the aircraft left. Sharks were seen around the liferafts and boats.”

Some of the heaviest attacks ever made on Lae aerodrome marked the end of the convoy battle. Havoc attack bombers poured 30,000 rounds of machinegun fire into grounded aircraft and installations. Six fighters eaught refuelling were destroyed together with their fuel truck. Meanwhile, protecting Lockheed Lightning and Kittyhawk fighters engaged 30 Japanese fighters which made desperate efforts to break up our attack. Eight enemy planes were destroyed for certain and nine others probably destroyed.

The Allied air forces show no signs of relaxing after their great convoy victory. Other New Guinea objectives attacked on Thursday were the aerodrome at Finschhafen and enemy occupied villages at the mouth of the Warm River as well as the aerodrome at Übili (New Britain). North of Australia our medium bombers started destructive fires among large oil supnlies on Matkus Island and at Saumlaki in the Tenimber group.