FIGHTER REINFORCEMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 10 February 1944, Page 5

FIGHTER REINFORCEMENTS

AIR DEFENCES AT RABAUL A.I.F. PENETRATION IN RAMU VALLEY Sydney, Feb. 9. Fighter reinforcements have apparently reached Rabaul, New Britain, to augment the hard-pressed Japanese air defences there. When 150 Allied aircraft from Solomons bases were over Rabaul on Sunday they were intercepted by 60 Zeros. On Saturday the Japanese had been able to get only about 30 fighters into the air to challenge our raiding force. Of Sunday’s 60 interceptors 13 were shot down and 10 other probably destroyed. We lost no planes though some were damaged. Lakunai aerodrome, the main target for the attack, was hit with 124 tons of bombs Mitchell and Liberator bombers escorted by Warhawk, Corsair and Hellcat fighters, made a strike just about mid-day. Today’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters makes no mention of any land fighting. However. it was reported that Australian patrols in the Ramu Valley, New Guinea, in the past week have penetrated more than five miles both to the north-east and north-west of Kankiryo without encountering any organised Japanese opposition. These advances have brought the Australians to within 15 air miles of the enemy coastal base of Bogadjim.—P.A. Special Australian Correspondent.