Jap. Air Force Makes Costly Reappearance

Northern Advocate, 7 June 1944, Page 4

Jap. Air Force Makes Costly Reappearance

(Special) SYDNEY, This Day The Japanese Air Force is making a costly reappearance in the South-west Pacific. After shooting down 34 enemy machines in Saturday’s combats, Genera l MacArthur’s bombei’s and fighters accounted for 17 more in dogfights on Sunday Ten of these were destroyed over Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea, where American ground forces are making progress in a converging movement towards three Japanese-held airfields. A formation of 42 enemy planes was intercepted over the American beach-head by four Thunderbolts. Despite terrific odds, the Thunderbolts are credited with destroying four Japanese fighters and probably a fifth. Other Thunderbolts shot down six enemy fighters off Owi Island, just souih of Biak, where the Americans landed on Friday. The Japanese lost one destroyer, probably a second destroyer, and a small merchantman, with other ships damaged, in concentrated Allied air raids over the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea waters on Sunday. Punishing Blows on Jap. Slapping

Punishing blows on enemy shipping reached as far as Halmaheras, 575 miles north of Biak. Liberators, in this area, early on Sunday morning, surprised enemy ships east of Morotai Island. They left a destroyer sinking and two other vessels damaged. Destroyer Probably Sunk

A second enemy destroyer was bombed by a U.S. Navy Catalina over Manokwari, Dutch New Guinea. Two direct hits left the warship dead in the water and probably sinking. In Geeivink Bay, Bostons sank a freighter, while Mitchells destroyed two barges filled with enemy troops. Dutch New Guinea Outlook

The presence of a destroyer at Manokwari suggests that the Japanese might be attempting to strengthen their rear bases in Dutch New Guinea.

No further reports have been received of ground fighting on Dutch New Guinea mainland.

American forces have been attacking Japanese troops holding MafTin airfield. For more than a week Allied warships have shelled targets in the area. Admiralty-based Liberators, which dropped 79 tons of bombs on Dublon and Eten Islands—Truk, Carolines—shot down seven of 20 Japanese interceptors.