LONE LIBERATOR
JAPANESE WARSHIPS HIT
DESTROYER PROBABLY SUNK
(N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 1. A lone Liberator bomber probably sank a large Japanese destroyer and damaged another early on Saturday morning. The attack followed one of the finest aerial “ shadowing ” feats ever carried out in the Solomons Sea. The two destroyers, together with a cruiser, were close together in the harbour of a tiny island off the north coast of New Britain and provided an excellent target for the Liberator's 10001 b bombs, which crashed among them.
Although damage is claimed officially only to the destroyers, the Liberator pilot said: “The blast from direct hits on one destroyer would certainly have done heavy damage to the other destroyer and to the cruiser.” The Liberator first sighted the ships on Friday night, but they offered such furious anti-aircraft opposition that the pilot postponed his attack until the ships reached what they apparently believed to be a secure haven. While the Liberator was shadowing the warships it encountered Japanese night fighters, but they did not attack. .
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19431102.2.59
Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 25372, 2 November 1943, Page 3
Word Count
178LONE LIBERATOR Otago Daily Times, Issue 25372, 2 November 1943, Page 3
Using This Item
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Daily Times. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in