Destruction of Jap Air Armada Completed

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 197, 20 August 1943, Page 5

Destruction of Jap Air Armada Completed

Only Ten Planes Left of 225 ; Many Ships Sunk

Third Damaging Raid on Borneo Oil Centre

United Press Assn- —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. (Special Australian Correspondent.) Received Thursday, 10.30 p.m. SYDNEY, August 19. Three smashing successes reported by General MacArthur’s communique to-day again emphasise the growing weight of Allied air and naval supremacy in the South Pacific.

At Wewak (New Guinea) our air force completed the destruction of the great Japanese air armada of 225 planes caught cn the ground in Tuesday’s devastating attack. To-day after further raids only ten enemy planes are left. At Balikpapan (Borneo) Liberators struck for the third time in a week, sinking four large vessels, probably tankers, and seriously damaging two others. Fires were again started in the refinery area.

Off Vella Grulf (Central Solomons) Allied surface units engaged a force of four enemy destroyers escorting barges, probably sinking one of the warships, damaging two others and destroying most of the barges. Pilots returning to complete Tuesday’s destruction at Wewak report “piles of ashes and many wings and tails lying around.” More than 200 Allied aircraft took part in the original attack and yesterday about 150 made the final raid which, according to General MacArthur’s communique to-day, “closes the combat.” Of 30 enemy fighters sent up to intercept our latest attack 28 were destroyed—in addition to the total destruction of 215 grounded aircraft. Allied losses for the complete operation were six machines. Pilots report terrific destruction at Boram aerodrome where 120 machines of the Japanese air fleet were concentrated.

Supply installations and shipping in the harbour also suffered heavily in the latest attacks on Wewak. Mitchell medium bomber pilots report that five vessels in the harbour were left ablaze. General MacArthur’s communique claims that only three vessels were set on fire.

Lightning fighters screening the attacking Allied bomber formations apparently operated from forward air strips. Hitherto the extreme range—l7s miles—had restricted Wewak missions exclusively to night attacks by unescorted bombers.

The new raid against the enemy oil centre of Balikpapan was the largest of the three so far made. Earlier reconnaissance reports revealed that ten of the large oil storage tanks had been destroyed. The latest attack involved a record flight of 2600 miles —as against 2500 on the previous occasions.

No further details are available of the latest Solomons naval engagement resulting in damage to three enemy destroyers and the probable sinking of one of them. General MacArthur’s communique to-day also reports heavy destruction of Japanese barges along the Southwest New Britain and North New Guinea coasts. Seventeen ware destroyed or damaged at Cape Busching (New Britain), while at Salamaua (New Guinea) four or five small coastal vessels as well as a number of barges were hit.

Reporting on the three heavy blows against the Japanese, General MacArthnr’s communique to-day says: New Guinea (Wewak): We have completed the destruction of the remnants of the Japanese Air Force centred on Wewak. Of the 225 planes originally assembled, yesterday’s surprise attack destroyed 120 on the ground, three in the air, and damaged 50 on the ground, leaving still existent 52 undamaged. Our attacks in all categories were continued in incessant waves to-day. The enemy mounted 30 fighters to meet the onslaught. Twenty-eight were shot down and the air fields were then combed to practical annihilation. Only ten planes of the 225 escaped. The remaining 215 are now gone. V/e then struck at the town and harbour area, setting on fire three medium-sized cargo ships, sinking a number of barges and leaving 20 large fires in the supply and dump areas. We lost three planes, bringing our total to six. This closes the combat.

Boreo (Balikpapan): In the face of extremely adverse weather our heavy bombers flew a total of 2600 miles to attack at night this oil refining centre and shipping in the harbour. Descending to masthead height direct hits were scored on four large vessels, probably tankers, destroying them instantly or setting them ablaze. Two other large ships were seriously damaged. Fires were again started in the refining area but accurate assessment of such damage was impossible because of poor visibility. All our aircraft returned to base.

Solomons (Vella Lavella): Allied surface units during a half-hour night engagement off Vella Gulf ambushed an enemy force of four destroyers escorting a number of barges, seriously damaging two destroyers, one of which probaoly sank, hit a third and probably destroyed most of the barges. Some of those remaining probably succeeded in landing on the northeast coast. Despite sporadic attacks by eight enemy planes we suffered neither damage nor casualties. One of our supply convoys withdrawing from the area was attacked during the night by enemy aircraft and one small cargo ship was set on fire and destroyed.