ATTACK ON RABAUL

Southland Times, Issue 24861, 29 September 1942, Page 5

ATTACK ON RABAUL

JAPANESE SHIP HIT (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A. (Rec. 11.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 28. Allied heavy bombers scored a direct hit and a near miss on a 15,000-ton Japanese merchant ship in Rabaul harbour. When last seen the vessel was one fire. The vessel was the largest ■ reported hit in a series of five raids in six days on Rabaul. Flying Fortresses, which made the attack shortly after dawn, dropped their bombs from a medium altitude on the largest ship in port. There has been no change in the New Guinea land situation. On the Owen Stanley front Allied aircraft again bombed and machine-gunned supply lines. In the Buna-Kokoda area supply installations, barges, camps and storage buildings were attacked and fires were started. Allied medium bombers made a night raid on the airfield at Buin, on the southern end of Bougainville Island. JAPANESE LOSSES The American correspondent Robert Miller says that American flyers, operating from Kukum airfield on Guadalcanar, up to September 16 shot down 127 Japanese planes, sank two ships, damaged five and sank 16 launches and damaged vital ground installations. In four weeks 10 United States flyers destroyed 82 enemy planes. The American losses were 19 planes and 16 men missing. . . The sole Japanese offensive during the past 24 hours has been another ineffectual night raid on Darwin. Two or three planes dropped bombs harmlessly in the scrub. TOKYO’S CLAIMS However, although the actual Japanese air activities remain small, Tokyo radio continues to broadcast fantastic claims of devastating attacks. Allied troops .at Port Moresby have been intrigued by Tokyo’s claim that Port Moresby’s non-existent tram service has been bombed out of action. Japanese planes have made three raids on the Port Moresby area during the past’ week, but have caused no damage or casualties. There is no sign that the Japanese are yet prepared to challenge the Allied air supremacy. The supply route in the Buna-Kokoda area has been bombed daily sinpe September 15. Only two attempts have been made at interception by enemy fighters. DISSOLUTION THREAT Australian Parliament r (Rec. 10.50 p.m.) CANBERRA, Sept. 28. A double dissolution of the Australian Parliament, the House of Representatives and the Senate, is .threatened by Mr John Curtin’s Labour Government if the Senate refused to agree to a Bill to encourage and regulate the war industrial employment of women. This is revealed by newly-gazetted regulations covering the operations of the Women’s Employment Board, which was abolished last week -when the Senate disallowed the regulations under which it was constituted. The newest regulations are deliberately framed in the wording of a section of the Constitution, which contains provision for a double dissolution. Should the Senate again decline to agree to the regulations the GovernorGeneral may dissolve the Senate and the House of Representatives simultaneously. However, political observers say the feeling among the Opposition members of both Houses is against forcing an election at this juncture and it is probable the Senate will climb down from its present attitude and pass the Bill in order to prevent an early election, which would be welcomed by the Labour Party. PRODUCTION OF FOOD Big Australian Programme (Rec. 10.50 p.m.) CANBERRA, Sept. 28. An Australian production of more than two million and a-half tons of dairy products, meat, sugar, rice, fruit and vegetables in the current year is being planned. This vast programme is being discussed by the ' Australian Agricultural Council. The conference will also discuss rural man-power, meat supplies and methods of popularizing lucerne for human consumption. Lucerne is stated to be as palatable as spinach and to have a high food value. Regulations to prevent Australian speculators from buying houses are to be introduced. Only genuine homeseekers will be permitted to acquire houses. The present regulations forbid house sales within 12 months of the purchase, but a considerable amount of speculation has been going on, despite this ban. The Australian fighting services will soon be wearing clothing designed in the current “Austerity” fashion. Shirts will be dress for the army in the coming summer. No more khaki drill jackets will be issued, the Minister of the Army, Mr F. M. Forde, announced today. Service greatcoats are now being made single-breasted, with no sleeve buttons and no cuffs. No more rubbersoled gymnasium shoes will be issued.