NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25800, 22 March 1945, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

TASK FORCE IN PACIFIC KEEN TO MEET JAPANESE (R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) BOUGAINVILLE, (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) Mar. 20. Corsair pilots operating from New Zealand air task force Bases in the Solomons and Bismarcks area are on their toes to meet Japanese aircraft operating on the offensive over Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain. The last action in which the New Zealanders clashed with enemy fighters occurred during a raid on Rabaul on February 13 last year, when Squadron Leader J. Oldfield, who now holds the rank of wing commander, shot down the ninety-niijth Japanese aircraft to be destroyed by a New Zealander. Since then the Zeros sighted have got smartly out of the road. Three bombing attacks have been made by the Japanese on Allied positions in Wide Bay in the past 10 days. In the first attack a Zero which bombed and strafed an Australian naval launch, was shot down by antiaircraft gunners. Enemy fighters made a hit-and-run raid on the same area a week ago, and two days later enemy aircraft bombed Allied positions, causing a few casualties. It is thought that enemy aircraft are sneaking out from cleverly camouflaged hide-outs in the region of Rabaul. where the Japanese are still battling against constant bombing to keep some of the original five large airfields serviceable.