CONVOY SUNK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24849, 22 March 1944, Page 6

CONVOY SUNK

FIVE JAPANESE SHIPS AIR ATTACK OFF WEWAK (Special Australian Correspondent) (Recti. 8 30 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 21 Allied planes annihilated a Japanese convoy of two heavily-laden troopships and three escorting corvettes off Wewak, New Guinea, on Sunday. Hundreds of enemy troops, as well as the ships' crews, were drowned. Returning airmen said they saw more than 500 Japanese struggling in the water. The men had no chance of survival, since the convoy went down 70 miles from land. It is believed that these troops were reinforcements for tho Wewak garrison. Over 100 Liberator, Mitchell and Boston bombers attacked the convoy about 10 a.m. They dropped their bombs at a minimum altitude, and did not return to their bases until all the ships were sunk. The transports were of 6000 tons and 4000 tons. 100 Bombers Visit Wewak While the enemy ships were under aerial bombardment, a second force of 100 Allied bombers struck at Wewak itself. Mitchells and Bostons dropped 113. tons of bombs, causing heavy damage among supply dumps and installations. Later, our fighters sank a troopladen barge and a coastal vessel near Wewak. The Japanese attempted to provide some air cover for their ships, but it was ineffective. Two enemy fighters were shot down. From tho whole series of operations, against both the convoy and Wewak itself, three Allied planes are missing. Destruction During March

This was the fifteenth Allied aerial attack on Wewak during March. More than 1500 tons of bombs have been dropped in these raids, and 105 Japanese planes have been definitely destroyed, with 26 probably destroyed. Allied losses in all these operations have been ten planes. Allied destroyers made their most north-westerly penetration along the New Guinea coast since the early days of the Japanese war to shell enemy installations at Kairuru and Muschu Islands, just north of Wewak. They sank or damaged a number of small craft and started large fires. Rabaul, New Britain, was given still another hammering. Our Solomons based bombers dropped 60 tons of incendiaries, causing fires in the town and waterfront areas. MILI ATOLL ATTACKED SHELLING AND BOMBING (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) WASHINGTON. March 20 Battleships and carrier-based aircraft heavily shelled and bombed Mili Atoll, Marshall Islands, on Saturday, says a Pacific fleet communique. Army Mitchells bombed Ponape, in the Carolines, sinking a small cargo transport and starting large tires. Navy and Army aircraft bombed five enemyheld atoils in the eastern Marshalls, hitting gun emplacements, barracks and magazines. All our planes returned. The Associated Press says the synchronised attack on Mili may he a prelude to an invasion. WAR VIEWS IN JAPAN VARYING CLASS BELIEFS NEW YORK, March '2O Educated people in Tokyo think that Japan is losing the war, but the uneducated assume that she will be victorious, said Cheu Chien-vuan, a Chinese medical student, in an interview with the Chungking correspondent of the New York Times. He is one of 40 Manehurian students sent to Tokyo to study medicine recently and he returned to China on the pretext of visiting a sick father.

He said that after the raid on Tokyo, two prisoners, reported to be Americans, were paraded through the streets. The crowds were encouraged to kick them and throw stones. Their legs were covered in blood from being beaten and kicked. The Japanese hated the Americans more than the British, because they believed American goods and loans prevented China's defeat. Not many Japanese believed in the myth of the Japanese divine mission to conquer the world, but there was 110 chance of political revolution. The wealthy still lived a life of luxury and kept their sons out of military service by sending them to universities for a seven years' course. Milk and meat were not available except for privileged classes. Motorcars had disappeared from the streets. The scarcity of coal made it impossible to heat houses. No woollen clothes were for sale and cotton was scarce. All clothes were made from a staple weave of paper, or wood with cotton. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS (Rccd. 8.30 i) m.) SYDNEY, March 21 In the Admiralty Islands, where American troops are patrolling extensively to clear out enemy remnants, Allied destrovers have bombarded Japan ese st ro tfgpoi n ts. SHIP SINKS OFF REEF (Reed. 5.35 p.m.j WASHINGTON, March 20 The submarine rescue ship Macaw, 2000 tons, sank after striking a coral reef in the Pacific, according a United States Navy announcement. The vessel was commissioned in July, 1943. PARTISAN LEADER RETIRING SERGEANT D€NVER (0.C.) WESTPORT, Tuesday Shy and retiring was the description given of Sergeant Jack Denver by nis father-in-law, Mr. I'. Mussel), of Ivaramea, in an interview. Sergeant Denver is the New Zealand soldier who rose to command a brigade of Partisans in Yugoslavia after twice escaping irom the Germans. Born in Scotland .'3O years ago, Sergeant, Denver, son ol an old regular soldier who was badly wounded in the last war, came to New Zealand with his parents as a child, lie spent his boyhood in Christeliur'-li. where_ In- met difficult times in the depression years. He worked on the Lewis Pass Road and then worked his way to Karansea. He married there. After three years in sawmills he returned to Christchurch and worked in llourmills. He has two girls and a boy. The boy was born since he left New Zealand. Sergeant Denver was a keen League footballer and won a cup for the most improved player of the Sydenham Club, ChrFtchiirch. He enlisted on the first possible day and went to Kg.vpt with the First Echelon. He was taken prisoner in Greece and was for 1R months believed to be dead. Hi« wife and children live at Fendalton. ('liristehnrch. WASTE RAG DRIVE COLLECTION ON SATURDAY Throughout New Zealand a house-to-house canvass for rags to he used for cleaning purposes by the Army, Navy and Air I' or re will be made by the New Zealand Girl Guides' Association on Saturday. It has been emphasised by the National Council for the Reclamation of Waste Material that the collectors were young girls, who were undertaking heavy work, and that householders could save them time and effort by making the rags into securely-tied bundles and leaving them at the gate. The council stated that the stock of rags_ held by the New Zealand lighting j services was getting low, and it was hoped that the call for clean, cotton rags would meet with a generous I response.