ATTACK ON MANILA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 30 September 1944, Page 5

ATTACK ON MANILA

TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY PLANES BATTLE THROUGH CLOUDS ENEMY QUITE UNSUSPECTING New York, Sept. 29. The carrier-based air attack on Manila Bay on 21st September is described by a United Press of American correspondent who was an eyewitness as a triumph achieved over adversity. The attacking planes took off from rolling recks during rain squalls and battled through heavy cloud over mountains to Manila, where hundreds of planes had made a rendezvous at 9 a.m. while the unsuspecting Manila radio blared out setting-up exercises and popular American tunes. The attackers bombed fifty planes parked on Clark airfield before ack-ack opened up or a Zero attempted to take off. Seventy planes were shot down on 21st September, effectively checking any Interruption of the attacks against shipping. Mid-afternoon saw Manila and Subic bays dotted with sunken ships and two score of burning hulks. Fires raged in oil stores, a big refinery, and a floating drydock. Zeros made half-hearted longrange attacks. Early the following day the Japanese attempted brief retaliation, bombs and splashing bullets spattering the American ships killing two of the crew but causing negligible damage. Our planes again found good shipping targets on 22nd September, although some undamaged vessels had departed overnight. Several of these were overtaken and destroyed or damaged. RAID TWO DAYS LATER The Navy announced that carrier planes sank or damaged 65 Japanese ships and destroyed 36 aircraft in the central Philippines area on September 23. GOOD OPERATIONAL TOUR R.N.Z.A.F. CORSAIR SQUADRON NO REST FOR JAPANESE (R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) Bougainville, Sept. 27. Winding up a successful tour of operations in the North Solomons with a field day in hunting Japanese, pilots of the R.N.Z.A.F. Corsair Squadron have returned to New Zealand, leaving behind them a heavy toll of damage and destruction inflicted on the enemy. The total enemy killed during the tour was 141 confirmed casualties, which is the highest total credited to any squadron since the New Zealanders commenced operation with the fighter-bombers. The enemy was found in large numbers at the Shortland Islands. The acommander of the squadron, Squadron Leader C. R. Bush, D.F.C., Wellington, and Pilot Officer B. Morgan, Auckland, made the initial strike surprising Japanese fishing in two barges. Ten were killed and both barges were destroyed. Pilot Officer R. McGeehan, Auckland, and Flight Sergeant D. Baker, Te Rapa, accounted for 24 others, while Flight Sergeants C. Palmer, Stratford, and C. Tappin, Feilding, used their guns effectively against 50 or 60 swimming Japanese. Some of them escaped. The squadron made a speciality of bridge busting and devised low-level bombing for the purpose. It met with immediate success and all but one bridge in enemy territory south of Bougainville were knocked out. During the tour the squadron dropped 275 tons of bombs, targets being in many parts of Bougainville and New Britain. The squadron’s total of 2000 flying hours reflects efficiency of the ground crews who kept them in the air. Sections led by Flight Lieutenants G. Fitzwater, Blenheim, and D. T. Clouston, Auckland, and Flying Officer J. R. Riddell, Christchurch,* were prominent in many sweeps. Flight Lieut. G. Bertram, Rotorua, was a section leader who put up a good score of truck-busting, his section knocking out nine vehicles in one sweep as well as disposing of 17 Japanese. Supply dumps in the Rabaul area were given a thorough hammering with high explosives and good results were also achieved with oil incendiary bombs. These New Zealanders have gone home for a spell but others have taken their place. There is no rest for the Japanese.