KEY ENEMY BASES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25459, 14 February 1944, Page 3

KEY ENEMY BASES

RELENTLESS BOMBING RABAUL’S DWINDLING VALUE (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 13. Forces of more than 200 Allied planes have struck at Rabaul (New Britain) on successive days. In raids on Wednesday and Thursday, which are reported by General MacArthur s week-end communiques, they dropped 272 tons of bombs. The Japanese lost 53 planes destroyed, with another 22 probably destroyed. Six Allied aircraft are missing. , . , Both attacks were directed against the Vunakanau and Tobera aerodromes, which have been persistently raided since the beginning of the year. On Wednesday the Japanese sent up 50 intercepting fighters, of which 20 were shot down and 7 others probably destroyed by our escorting Corsairs, Kittyhawks, and lightnings. Our bombers dropped 98 tons of explosives. Enemy’s Heavy Plane Losses

The greatest attack against Rabaul in several weeks was made on Thursday, when 174 tons of bombs were dropped. Of the 60 enemy intercepting fighters. 32 were shot down and 9 others probably destroyed. One parked bomber was destroyed and 6 others probably destroyed on Vunakanau aerodrome.

Rabaul’s dwindling value as a Japanese base has been revealed by recent reconnaissance. Last week fewer than 100 enemy planes were seen on its four airfields, which formerly held several times that number. The

shipping using Rabaul Harbour is only one-third of the tonnage of three months ago. The United states Under-aecretary of War, Mr R. P. Patterson, had stated that Japanese naval forces have had to withdraw from the harbour. , 1 , . , The Tokio radio says that the total number of Allied planes which raided Rabaul on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday was 580. . , Combined with the persistent attacks on Rabaul have been heavy blows against Kavieng (New’lreland), Wewak and Madang (New Guinea). In a record raid on Kavieng 167 tons of bombs demolished buildings and repair shops. Ten parked enemy planes were destroyed, but there was no air interception. Another Raid on Wewak One of the largest forces of Liberators ever employed in this area dropped 200 tons of bombs at Wewak, the chief Japanese base in New Guinea. The raid was concentrated on the Boram aerodrome and supply areas, but low cloud banks prevented complete assessment of the damage. Earlier in the day Catalinas had destroyed or damaged 30 of a large fleet of Japanese barges at Muschuisland, off the Wewak coast. In Jacquinot Bay, New Britain, a 1000-ton enemy vessel was probably sunk by a bombing attack. - More than 700 tons of bombs wercdropped in these main air blows. General MacArthur’s communiques indicated that the Allied aerial offensive against the key Japanese bases in the South-west Pacific is reaching a new pitch of intensity.