RISING TEMPO OF AIR WAR

Southland Times, Issue 24757, 30 May 1942, Page 5

RISING TEMPO OF AIR WAR

JAPANESE BASES ATTACKED RAID ON RABAUL (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 11.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 29. Japan’s main South-West Pacific base, Rabaul (New Britain), was the target of'a heavy attack by Allied bombers on Thursday night. Large fires were burning when our planes turned for home. Night fighters were sent up by the Japanese and three of these were damaged. Our planes suffered no losses. The rising tempo of the South-West Pacific air war is being sustained with the Japanese continuing to employ heavily increased numbers of their newest type of Zero fighters. Twenty of these clashed with Allied fighters over Port Moresby on Thursday in what is described in a headquarters communique as a heavy fight. Two planes on each side were destroyed. Other Japanese fighters were damaged. Japanese fighters also intercepted our daylight raid on Lae, two being destroyed and two others damaged. One of our planes is missing. This brings the losses of enemy planes on Thursday to four destroyed and five damaged. The total Allied losses were three planes. Evidence of Japanese air strength in the area is the fact that the enemy has been able to carry out day and night raids while still maintaining fighter protection for bases. However, it is now 10 days since any land-based enemy bombers operated against the Allied positions. The latest raid when they used land-based machines was on May 18 when 34 heavy bombers with an escort of 15 fighters raided Port Moresby. Our fighters then destroyed one enemy bomber and damaged three as well as damaging three escorting fighters.