COMMAND IN ASIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24675, 30 August 1943, Page 4

COMMAND IN ASIA

HOUNTBATTEFS TASK GENERAL MacARTHUR'S AREA (Reed. 7.20 p.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 28 An unconfirmed report from Washington says that General Mac Arthur is to have full control of operations against the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies and all island territory in that area. The newly-appointed Commander-in-Chief in South-east Asia, Vice-Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, will direct operations on the continent of Asia. The New York Herald-Tribune's correspondent says General MacArthnr's command has been defined in the division of the South-west Pacific and South-east Asia areas. According to the correspondent of the New York Times, Vice-Admiral Mountbatten lias left the United States for a destination which has not been announced, but which, probably, is cLondon. Later he will go to Chungking to map the drive against the Japanese. His ultimate programme is to reopen the Burma Road, drive the Japanese from ports in Southern Asia, seize control of the China Sea and increase Allied air strength in China. It is expected in the United States that he will be made a full admiral in keeping with the importance of his new command. Well-informed people believe that Lieutenant-Gencral Joseph Stihvell, Commander of the United States Forces in China, India and Burma, has been chosen as deputy to Lord Mountbatten, says the Associated Press. Lord Mountbatten would thus gain as his second in command an aggressive veteran of the bitter Burma campaign, fully acquainted with the complex problems of that theatre. TOLL OF U-BOATS UNITED STATES AIRCRAFT NEW YORK. Auk. 28 The Army Air Force Anti-Submarine Command announces that at least five U-boats were sunk and five damaged recently in 13 air and sea battles which have not previously been reported. The Army Air Force bombers were specially equipped and flew as far as 1000 miles from their -home bases to take action against the U-boats. All the planes returned safely, although five of them were subjected to severe anti-aircraft fire from the submarines. Five of the crew of one plane were wounded when an explosive shell smashed through the nose of the aircraft, shattering instruments, the hydraulic system and other vital parts. The pilot landed safely at his base.

HEAVIER ARMAMENT GERMAN SUBMARINES (Reed. 8.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Auk. 29 The anti-aircraft armament of German submarines recently has been heavily reinforced to meet the greatly expanded Allied air patrols in the Atlantic. The standard U-boat armament of two all-purpose deck guns and one or two ,50in. machine-guns mounted on the conning tower has been supplemented by at least two 20mm. antiaircraft cannon. This enables the TJ-boats to throw np a fairly heavy fire. Experts are of the opinion that it will he necessary for the Allies to develop new tactics or armament. They suggest that if flving-boats were equipped with larger cannon than their present 37mm. weapons, they could destroy U-boats from a comparatively safe distance. USE OF DIVE-BOMBERS LONDON, Aug. 29 The Germans appear to be using an increasing number of Junkers 88 twinengined dive-bombers to try to protect their U-boats in the Bay of Biscay from attacks by R.A.F. patrols. In the past two weeks our aircraft have been fighting from four to eight of these divebombers at a time.

DUEL WITH SUBMARINE NEW ZEALAND CATALINA (Special Correspondent) LONDON, Aug. 28 Headquarters of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in London state that a New Zealand Catalina squadron started its operations off West Africa by finding the survivors of an armed merchant cruiser and attacking a submarine. The submarine stayed on the surface firing at the Catalina, which was piloted by Pilot-Officer N. A. Ward, of New Plymouth, who was accompanied on the flight by Wing-Commander D. W. Baird, A.F.C. Others of the crew were Sergeants N. Boyd, North Auckland, and C. C. Osborne, Ashburton. The Catalina attacked the submarine immediately it was sighted, damaging its rudder and hydroplanes, although the depth charges overshot slightly. Then followed a 20-minute gun duel with the submarine. The Catalina's main plane and starboard propeller were hit. The submarine eventually submerged. The aircraft dropped a final depth charge and then made for * its base, where a shell was found to have pierced a propeller blade at its thickest point DEATH OF JOHN HILTON REMARKABLE CAREER (Heed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 28 The death is announced in London of Professor John Hilton, aged G2. Professor John Hilton had a very remarkable career. A son of very poor parents, he became Professor of Industrial Relations in the University of Cambridge. He won the Whitworth scholarship which is open only to lads at work, but was disqualified for a technical reason. Working in an engineering shop, he evolved an invention which was praised by ship builders, but not adopted. It is now in world-wide use, but others made the fortune from it. He gradually worked himself up, and in 191.9 he became Director of Statistics at the Ministry of Labour. He conducted research and attended important conferences abroad. He was appointed to the professorship at Cambridge in 1931, and in 1932 he started a club for the unemployed.

WHALING REVIVAL PROJECT IN AUSTRALIA (Heed 7.:i0 p.in.) SYDNEY, Auk The Australian whaling industry is being revived by tbe Commonwealth Government. Plans to treat whales caught in Australian waters are well advanced. A Xew Zealand expert. Mr. .1. A. Pern no, who has been appointed to supervise the project, has arrived in Australia. He proposes to employ a small fleet ol' fast motor boats to catch tlie whales and estimates that catches of 000 a season should he possible. The Commonwealth Government is erecting a factory and. in addition to whale oil, which has a host of war uses, there will be many by-products. Parts of the whale carcases will be stored for medical use.