ENEMY RABAUL BASE

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15236, 29 December 1942, Page 3

ENEMY RABAUL BASE

POUNDED FROM BOTH FLANKS. United Press Assn —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY. Dec. 28. The main Japanese southward air base at Rabaui is now being pounded from two flanks—by the air forces of both General MacArtlnu- anj Admiral Halsey. The latest raid which followed the Christmas Day attack from Guadalcanal-, was by heavy bombers of General MacArfehiir’s Command, Liberators and Fortresses which reached their t irgers in itc-e of intense ground opp > d• m A deluge of 5001 b bombs ui na. i'unshipping was followed by a shower of incendiaries on Rabaui towmlip. The most import uit slopping ' «tim was a 15,000-tori transport hist *•. • n lying oji its ride in the centre of fee harbour. Two other 8000-ton vessels were set ablaze in the harbour, while a third 8000-tonner, left in St. George’s Channel, was abandon ed by her crew. The attack was made in hazy weather and the damage is believed ho have been even greater than claimed in General MacArthur’s communique. These combined raids 011 Rabaui have been interpreted by the New York Times’ Washington correspondent as “the beginning of an early amphibious attack on this Japanese base.” The correspondent points out that several enemy supporting bases, including Lae, Salainaua, Munda and Dima,, must be cleaned up first, but emphasises that a twin aerial campaign against Rabaui, from Australia and the Solomons, is a great forward move which will make it difficult for the Japanese to maintain effective defences at Rabaui as well as at the satellite bases. Other widespread Allied air offensives in the South-west Pacific theatres included attacks on the, new Japanese aerodrome at Cape G/louoester (New Britain) and the destruction, of enemy warehouses at Madang and Finschhafe.ll (New Guinea), whore Japanese reinforcements were landed recently. Systematic attacks are also being kept up against the Japanese in Timor. Supplies and road transport at Laivai, on the coast about 70 miles from Dilli, have again been bombed arid strafed.