MET BY SPITFIRES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25239, 31 May 1943, Page 2

MET BY SPITFIRES

JAPANESE BOMBERS RAID ON AUSTRALIA (N.Z.P.A: Special Aust. Correspondent.) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 30. Spitfires beat off another Japanese riad on a Northern Australian objective on Friday when they shot down three out of eight bombers attempting a third attack on Millingimbi, in Arnhem Land. 220 miles east of Darwin. Other enemy planes wera damaged. Two Spitfires were lost, but the pilot of one was seen to bale out, and may have been rescued. The raiding bombers were escorted bv six Zeros. They did not come below 15,000 feet to make their midday attack. The 50 bombs dropped against the Allied airstrip did but little damage, and caused no casualties. The number of Spitfires which took part in the engagement is not disclosed, but it is officially stated that they were greatly outnumbered. The base was previously raided on May 9 and 10, the Japanese losing two planes destroyed, two probably destroyed, and two damaged in these attacks. Millingimbi is one of the Crocodile Islands, and is situated in Castlereagh Bay. Bad weather, gales, thunderstorms, electrical disturbances, and heavy clouds, in addition to the rain-sodden landing grounds, hampered South-west Pacific air operations on Friday. But these difficulties did not prevent one of the heaviest raids yet made on Wewak. Now the main Japanese supply base in Nor.thern New Guinea, Wewak is being developed on such a scale that it ihay eventually rival the enemy’s key Southern Pacific base of Rabaul itself. Flying Fortresses and Liberators flew through early morning heavy rain, thick cloud, and thunderstorms to drop nearly 19 tons of bombs in predawn attacks on the Boram, Dagua. and Wewak airfields, which are clustered close together. Sixteen fires in the dispersal areas of Eoram may have been burning planes. Seven Japanese searchlights suddenly went out. It is believed that they were destroyed. The Allied planes met intense antiaircraft fire, but all returned to their base.