WHITTLING DOWN DEFENCE

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15238, 31 December 1942, Page 3

WHITTLING DOWN DEFENCE

BITTER FIGHTING AT BUNA JAP REMNANTS FIG 7 . ; HT ON EPIC AIR STRUGGLES. (United Press Assn—By Electi ic Telegraphs—Copyright. | (Special Australian Correspondent. SYDNEY', Dec. 30 The Japanese fortress holdings i the main Buna airfield area hav | been whittled down close to vanisl | ing point. Fierce fighting on Tuesda gave the Allies control of territor i between the airfield and the sea The enemy still holds out at one eu of the airfield. In the Buna mission area, Alliei forces have also extended tlieiV. coil trol. An enemy pocket 1500 yard from the mission which was by-pass ed during the Christmas fighting ha now been mopped' up The Japanese, it i s revealed, ar using naval pompoms ii. the bit.te land fighting. Our artillery silenoei several of these guns. The Japanese are also employing increased numbers of planes in efforts to assiftl the distressed remnants of theii Buna garrison, but the vigilance o: Allied fighter pilots has prevented punishing attacks on our troops. Three Lightnings recorded an ep* performance when they smashed a formation of 40 Japanese dive-bomb-ers and Zeros. They dived among the bombers, scattering them like startled sheep, so that many of their jettisoned bombs fell in their own lines. The first escorting Zero on the scene was shot down, and lor about 20 m,inutes the ground battle paused to watch aerial dogfights. Other Allied fighters joinecT the Lightnings and more losses were inflicted on the .Japanese before the last- of th e Zeros turned for home. In Tuesday’s Allied air offensives. Catalina flying-boats struck heavily at Kavieng, while Liberators bombed Gasmata and the aerodrome at Lae. fresh attacks on Japanese shipping at R aba ill have been reported, but it is revealed that an American Liberator pilot. Lieutenant James Crawford, of Illinois, waited half an hour over enemy territory to score the bomb hits which resulted in Monday’s probable destruction of a heavy cruiser in the harbour. When he first reached Rabaul heavy low clouds made precision bombing impossible. In the hoj>e of an improvement in conditions. Lieutenant Crawford flow to Jacquinot Bay, 120 miles away, where ho waited til full daylight, when he returne t i to. Rabaul. Clouds still hid the harbour area, but lieutenant Crawford raced his Liberator through an intense anti-aircraft barrage to score three direct hits on the cruiser from a low altitude. A fourth bomb fell close to another vessel.