LONG-RANGE AIR RAIDS IN PACIFIC

Southland Times, Issue 25328, 1 April 1944, Page 5

LONG-RANGE AIR RAIDS IN PACIFIC

TRUK POUNDED BY LIBERATORS (Special Australian Correspondeht, N.Z.P.A.) (Req. 1 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 31. Three devastating long-range air attacks, two of which took General MacArthur’s bombers to the Caroline Islands for the first time, have cost the Japanese a great number of planes destroyed or damaged. The targets were: Truk, in the Carolines, key Japanese base in the central Pacific, where Solomons-based Liberators destroyed 49 parked aircraft and shot down from 15 to 20 in air combat. Woleai, in the Carolines, important Japanese air base, 380 nautical miles south of Guam, where two large fires and many explosions were caused by night attacking south-west Pacific Command Catalina flying-boats. Hollandia, in Dutch New Guinea, chief Japanese air base in New Guinea, where 125 parked aircraft were destroyed or damaged. The news of these smashing air blows was given today in a special communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters. The attacks were made on Tuesday night and during daylight on Wednesday. They resulted in the most severe air losses inflicted on the Japanese for several weeks. Assaults by General MacArthur s bombers on Truk and Woleai suggest that these enemy bases in the Carolines will be squeezed in a two-way air offensive—launched from Allied bases in the central Pacific and south-west Pacific areas.

Truk was attacked on Wednesday, the Liberators concentrating against Etan Island, where the Japanese have important airfields. Photographs taken following high level bombing runs at noon show 200 hits in the target area, the majority among the workshops and hangars, parking pens and runways. Forty-nine parked aircraft—3s fighters, four medium bombers and 10 divebombers were blown up. Fires covered the area indicating other heavy destruction.

The attacking Liberators first encountered intense anti-aircraft fire and were then engaged by 90 enemy fighters, which for 45 minutes tried to break up our bomber formations. Only one Liberator was lost, with another dam • aged.

Woleai, 460 nautical miles west of Truk, was attacked at midnight on Tuesday by United States Naval Catalines. Fires were started and intermittent explosions followed. Woleai is probably the most westerly point in the central Pacific yet raided by planes not carrier-based. It is slightly west of Guam, 380 nautical miles to the north, which was attacked by an American task force some months ago. These attacks on the Carolines follow the northward advance of General MacArthur’s bomber line by the recent seizure of the Admiralty Islands, Green Islands and the St. Matthias group in the north Bismarck Sea.

Liberators were also responsible for major destruction at Hollandia. Against this enemy air base two strikes were

made. Before dawn on Wednesday a raid on the airfields destroyed 16 parked planes. Then at daylight strong formations dropped 156 tons of fragmentation bombs on the large concentrations of enemy plaries only recently assembled. In this second strike 92 planes were destroyed or so severely damaged as to be rendered unserviceable.

Forty Zeros which attacked our formations were engaged by escorting Lightnings, which shot down 10 of the Japanese fighters with seven others probably destroyed. Allied losses were negligible. Returning air crews reported that all the airfields in the Hollandia area were left temporarily out of commission. The entire area was blanketed with flames, smoke rising to 10,000 feet. These raids were a further crippling blow to the Japanese air strength in New Guinea. Since being forced to move their air concentrations back from Wewak, Hollandia has been the Japanese main assembly area. Recent adverse weather undoubtedly assisted the Japanese to muster the fresh air strength now so effectively disposed of. These paralysing blows did not mark ■the limits of the air attacks reported from General MacArthur’s headquarters today. Rabaul had its 26th raid of the month on Tuesday, 30 fires being started in the supply dump, installations and dispersal areas. At Wewak 95 tons of bombs on Wednesday started fires. A lugger was sunk. Along the New Britain coast R.A.A.F. planes attacked enemy supply points and personnel in adverse weather.