Relentless Attacks On Jap Airfields

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 224, 21 September 1943, Page 5

Relentless Attacks On Jap Airfields

Received Monday, 10.5 p.m. SYDNEY, Sept. 20.

Japanese airfields at the southern end of Bougainville Island in the Central Solomons are being relentlessly attacked by Admiral Halsey’s bombers. In the raid on Ballale aerodrome on Saturday by escorted torpedo and divebombers, 60 Japanese fighters attempted interception and 14 were shot down. Tour Allied fighters and two bombers were lost, but two of the pilots were saved. The raiders attacked Ballale gun positions, revetments, supply and bivouac areas, scoring many direct hits and causing fires.

Allied medium bombers also made three surprise night raids on the Kahili and Ballale aerodromes. Two planes are missing from these attacks. An enemy fighter was shot down over Vella Lavella Island by our air patrols. These air operations are reported in General MacArthur’s latest communique. In the Southwest Pacific area, Allied naval patrol craft in Vitiaz Strait, between New Guinea and New Britain, sank two troop-laden barge 3 off Blucher Point and strafed buildings bn Rooke and Ritter Islands. MacArthur’s bombers and fighters attacked enemy shipping, installations, bivouac areas and supply dumps over a wide area.

Reconnaissance planes destroyed a 1200-ton enemy cargo vessel at Hansa Bay (New Guinea). In the Finschhafen area (New Guinea) heavy, medium and attack planes struck at enemy installations and bivouac areas with 16 tons oi bombs and also made numerous strafing passes. Off Cape St. George (New Ireland), reconnaissance units damaged a 2000-ton Japanese freighter and a small cargo vessel east of Kavieng was set on fire. Our longrange fighters strafed enemy small shipping, supply dumps and buildings at King Bay (New Britain). The Darwin area of Australia was raided before dawn by nine Japanese planes which dropped bombs near Fenton, causing neither damage nor casualties.