JAPANESE BASES POUNDED

Southland Times, Issue 25335, 11 April 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE BASES POUNDED

Allied Air Sweeps . Over New Guinea (Special Australian Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 10. In a series of Easter Saturday sweeps over the Hollandia, Wewak and Hansa Bay areas of New Guinea over 380 tons of high explosive bombs were dropped by General MacArthur’s bombers on Japanese aerodromes and installations. The progressive obliteration of Hollandia was carried a stage fur- . tiler by Liberators, which pounded the township, supply areas and shipping with 152 tons of bombs. Smoke visible for 40 miles rose from burning buildings and fuel dumps. Two freighters were set on fire and the jetty was damaged. Other Liberators with Mitchell medium bombers and escorting fighters struck at Wewak with 95 tons of bombs, while 34 tons of bombs were dropped at Hansa Bay, where fuel fires were started. ■ Our planes in these three strikes encountered no Japanese fighter opposition. At Hollandia and Wewak some strong anti-aircraft fire was encountered, but at Hansa Bay the only ground opposition was from machineguns. In attacks on Rabaul (New Britain) and Kavieng (New Ireland) buildings were destroyed and gun positions Were silenced. Rabaul was the main target, being hit with 75 tons of bombs, while 30 tons were dropped at Kavieng. Other raids reported by - General MacArthur’s communique today included strikes against Japanese Jjarracks at Penfoei and Lautem, in Timor. No land fighting in the South-west Pacific is recorded. JAPANESE NEAR KOHIMA ENEMY DRIVEN BACK LONDON, April 9. Reuter’s correspondent in New Delhi, cabling tonight, says that the Japanese have succeeded in reaching the outskirts of Kohima, but are now being driven back by a counter-attack. The British United Press correspondent with the American Air Command reveals that the Allies on March 22 made a second landing behind the Japanese lines in Burma. A glider train crossed the rugged hills carrying jeeps, bulldozers and equipment for building air strips and landed between the Chindwin and the Irrawaddy rivers. By nightfall the next day a landing strip had been prepared in readiness to receive heavy transports, twin-engined Douglas planes carrying British and Indian troops, which came in after dark. BRITISH FLEET IN INDIAN OCEAN Prevention Of Landings (8.0.W.) RUGBY, April 8. The strength of the British Fleet in the Indian Ocean, according to the estimates of the Tokyo correspondent of the German Overseas News Agency, is seven or eight battleships, five aircraft carriers, eight heavy cruisers, eight light cruisers and a number of destroyer flotillas. “It is doubtful whether the Japanese offensive against India can be carried out by land alone," he states. “The British Fleet has a defensive role in countering Japanese attempts to support land operations through outflanking landings along the Bay of Bengal.” Japan must expect a big Allied offensive in the Pacific before the end of the’ summer, according to Tokyo circles closely' connected with the Japanese High Command, says the German radio. The Japanese High Command Press spokesman, Captain Takase, states: “The United States shipbuilding programme appears to have reached die point where the Americans will be able to use their Navy in these waters successfully and decisively. We must now expect them to penetrate into our waters with strong naval squadrons and to make sea-based air raids on Japan proper. The Japanese Command with this in view has done its utmost to strengthen Japan’s air force.” '