ALLIED AIR ATTACKS

Southland Times, Issue 25692, 29 June 1943, Page 5

ALLIED AIR ATTACKS

TARGETS IN NEW GUINEA STRONG FORCES USED (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 28. General Douglas MacArthur’s bombers during the week-end concentrated the main weight of their attacks on the Markham Valley-Salamaua-Mubo area of New Guinea. Sunday’s raids followed Saturday’s record attack on Lae by the largest force of Mitchell medium bombers ever employed in the southwest Pacific on any single mission other than the Bismarck Sea battle. Strong formations of Mitchells have struck at Salamaua and enemy occupied villages in the Markham Valley-Ramu river sector. Heavy damage was done. Earlier this month there was an exchange of raids by the opposing air forces on targets in this area, which is inland from Madang.

Boston attack planes were active on Sunday in support of Australian troops fighting in the Mubo sector of New Guinea. They strafed Japanese positions.

The scale of land fighting in the area seems to have subsided temporar-

ily, although the opposing forces are reported to have exchanged mortar fire during the week-end. The Japanese recently lost more than 200 men in the fighting around Mubo. CARGO SHIP ATTACKED A reconnaissance bomber over the Solomons Sea attacked a small Japanese cargo ship with a destroyer escort south-west of the Buka Passage, separating Buka and Bougainville Islands. Damaging near- misses were scored with two bombs and the decks of both vessels were strafed from a low altitude. The remarkable feat of shooting down .five Japanese fighters and probably destroying a sixth was performed by an American Lightning pilot in the big air battle over Guadalcanar on June 16; when 96 of 120 bombers and fighters were destroyed. The pilot, who became an ace within three-quarters of an hour, was Lieutenant Murray Shubin. He was leader of a flight of four Lightnings which attacked a group of Zeros. Ultimately Lieutenant Shubin was left alone to fight off five Zeros. An infantry captain who watched the dogfights through his binoculars confirmed Lieutenant Shubin’s claim to have destroyed all five of the enemy fighters. JAPANESE BOMBED Attack In Shortland Area (8.0.W.) RUGBY, June 27. The United States Navy Department reports that in the south Pacific on Saturday a formation of. Liberators attacked Japanese positions on Balle Island in the Shortland area. A number of fires were started. At the same time another formation of Liberators attacked Japanese positions south of Shortland Island. The results were not observed. Later dive-bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked Villa, in the Kolombangara Islands. No planes were lost. In the north Pacific on Friday medium bombers, escorted by fighters, made six attacks against Kiska. Hits were scored on the main camp, area among aircraft positions. U.S. AIR_STRENGTH BIG INCREASE IN CHINA (Rec. 7 p.m.) CHUNGKING, June 27. The Chinese have beaten back a series of local enemy thrusts in the three provinces along the Yangtze, Anhwei, Hupeh and Hunan. A Chinese communique says that more than 300 Japanese were killed or wounded. According to Tokyo radio the American air squadrons in China have been increased considerably. New American units are concentrating in bases in Fukien province, in south China. Japanese military experts anticipate increased American activitiy in, the Chinese theatre, as well as new attempts to attack the Japanese mainland.