Allied Bombers Sink Japanese Cargo Submarine

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1943, Page 3

Allied Bombers Sink Japanese Cargo Submarine

Special Australian Correspondent.

Lae garrison becoming short of supplies.

Rec. 8.40 p.m. Sydney, March 21. Desperate Japanese efforts to supply their forces at Lae by submarine were frustrated by Allied bombers. lOur airmen observed a submarine discharging its cargo on Friday night and destroyed it with four direct bomb hits. The sinking of the submarine is further evidence of the success of the Allied air blockade of the enemy's northern New Guinea bases. Supply by underwater craft is "last resort" tactics and indicates the extreme difficulties being faced by the Japanese troops in the Lae-Salamaua-Mubo triangle. Repeated attempts -to get food, equipment and reinforcements to these gairisons by surface craft have resulted in heavy shipping losses culminating in the destruction of 22 ships in the Bismarck Sea convoy. During the last stages of the Papuan campaign there were persistent although unconfirmed reports of the Japanese attempts to supply their Buna-Gona fortress garrison by submarine. The rising Japanese air strength in the South-west Pacific was again emphasised on Friday by a daylight attack by 18 enemy bombers escorted by 32 fighters on Porlock Harbour, 50 miles south-west of Buna. About 70 bombs were dropped on the harbour. A wharf and a launch were damaged but there were no casualties. This was the fourth heavy Japanese air attack in this theatre in 10 days. In that p'eriod the enemy also raided Darwin with 49 planes, Wau aerodrome with 27 planes and Oro Bay, 18 miles southwest of Buna, with 40 planes. Allied aircraft continue their harassing attacks on Japanese bases and shipping from the Banda Sea to the Solomons. Most of the raids were reported in the past 48 hours when 15 objectives were attacked on a light scale. The following estimated strengths of the enemy forces in the South-west Pacific are given in the latest issue of the authoritative American magazine Newsweek: — In New Britain, with the main concentration at Rabaul: 150,000. New Guinea, 30,000, of which 7000 hold Salamaua and Lae, the balance being scattered at" Wewak, Madante, Finschhafen and other smaller bases on the coast. Timor: 12,000. No figures are given of the Japanese etrength at the important base of Ambor or the other bases at Tenlmber and the Aru islands.

Latest Communlque. General MacArthur's commtmique today (Sunday) states: "Dutch New Guinea (Cape Vandenbosch): One of our medium units bombed and strafed a 10,000-ton enemy cargo vessel, scoring a direct hit and close misses. "Kaimana: Despite bad weather conditions our medium bombers from a low altitude attacked an enemy merchant vessel in the bay, starting a fire on the deck. On the shore a jetty was bombed and set on fire. "Amboina (Ambon): Oup heavy bombers raided the town area after dusk, dropping 5001b. of explosives and incendiaries. Cloud and haze obscured observation of results. "Kai Islands— Langgoer: :Our medium bombers in two waves attacked the town area, scoring direct hits, while retuming to base they executed a strafing attack on the enemy-occupied village of Faan. "New Britain (Gazelle Peninsula): One of our heavy units bombed a medium enemy cargo ship with unobserved results. "New Guinea (Madang): One of our heavy units bombed enemy-occupied inBtallations on nearby Beliam Island. "Finschhafen: Our heavy units twice bombed the building area, causing numerous fires." ,V|-'