OMINOUS CALM

Otago Daily Times, Volume 25205, Issue 25205, 20 April 1943, Page 3

OMINOUS CALM

PACIFIC AIR WAR JAPANESE MOVEMENTS (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Apl. 19. The present calm in the South-west Pacific air war is an ominous one. Activity on a scale at least equal to that of last week’s major battles is expected to break out at any time. The Japanese have been engaged in moving large numbers of combat aircraft between their aerodromes in this theatre, and last week’s 100-plane raids are known to have absorbed only a proportion of their available strength. Allied bomber pilots who made the recent attacks on Japanese shipping report that the enemy’s best fighter pilots are being moved from base to base in an effort to bolster the weak defences. Apparently it is hoped to deter the Allied airmen from pressing home’ their attacks against Japanese vessels. “ One day we strike green ‘ rookies ’ over an enemy base,” remarked an American Liberator pilot, “ but next day over the same base we meet the most experienced fighterpilots Japan can put into the air.” The lull continued yesterday. Allied bombers were mainly on offensive reconnaissance, and no attacks on Allied bases were made by the Japanese. The heaviest raid reported in General MacArthur’s communique to-day was on the Penfoei aerodrome at Koepang, Timor, where Mitchell medium bombers started fires in an attack made after dusk. Our bombers were also over Japanese bases on the Aru Islands, New Guinea, New Britain and New Ireland.

At Kavieng, NeW Ireland, one of our heavy bombers attacked a 10,000-ton merchant ship with unobserved results. Two Zeros which attempted interception were driven off. Over the Zitiaz Strait, between New Guinea and New Britain, an Allied heavy bomber shot down a twin-engined fighter.