HEADED FOR RABAUL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22477, 12 January 1943, Page 3

HEADED FOR RABAUL

Remnants Of Japanese Convoy Two More Ships Hit N.Z.P.A.—Special Australian Correspondent (Rec. 9.15.) SYDNEY, Jan. 11. Allied bombers continue to harry the remnants of the Japanese convoy fleeing northward from Lae. Direct hits were scored on two vessels early on Sunday morning. It is not known whether warships or merchantmen were hit since the attacks were made in the darkness. Flying Fortresses, Catalinas and Marauders struck the latest blow, the enemy ships being last sighted beyond Gasmata, apparently headed back for Rabual. Enemy air cover was greatly reduced as the convoy fled north, and our attacking bombers encountered onlyweak fighter opposition. Three Zeros were shot down and another probably destroyed. This brings the total of enemy planes destroyed in the four days’ fighting over the convoy to 81, with 29 probably destroyed and 20 damaged. The Japanese air losses throughout the South-west Pacific in these four days probably total 150 planes. It is not yet possible to estimate the number of Japanese troops and the amount of equipment landed at Lae. Three transports were sunk before they could unload, but three more may have completed unloading when they received direct bomb hits which set them on fire and destroyed two of them. Whether any merchant vessels left Lae harbour with the six escorting warships has not been revealed. Lae Strafed While the attacks continued against enemy ships other Allied bombers with fighter escort maintained the offensive against the town and aerodrome r.rea of Lae. Heavy damage is claimed by General MacArthur’s communique today and large fires were started. An enemy fighter was destroyed on the ground. Wewak, Finshhapen, Madang and other enemy bases on the north New Guinea coast were also bombed by our heavy units. An Allied gain is reported in the land fighting against Sanananda. Our forward troops occupied the village of Tarakina at the mouth of an unnamed creek about a mile and a-half southeast of Sanananda Point. Fifty Japanese were killed and a small quantity of equipment was captured. Full scale attacks on the enemy’s completely enveloped positions are expected at any time. The Lae convoy was the most spectacular defeat that Japanese landbased planes have ever suffered, comments the "New York Times” in an editorial. The Japanese were trying to repeat the successful English Channel manoeuvre by which the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen reached Germany from Brest, but the convoy was spotted in time. The brilliant action indicates that our growing air power in the South Pacific is already dominant and should prove overwhelming. The action may seriously hamper the Japanese offensive plans. The New York "Herald-Tribune” points out that Japanese plane losses are comparable with the bigger air battles in Western Europe. The magnitude of the defensive effort suggests how dangerous the loss of Lae and Salamaua will be to the entire Japanese position in the South-west Pacific. Airman Killed Brigadier-General Kenneth Walker, a commander in the Fifth American Air Force, is missing on air operations over Rabaul. He led the bombing raid which last week destroyed 11 Japanese ships in the harbour. His aircraft was last seen over the harbour area. Brigadier-General Walker is one of the 12 high ranking Allied officers decorated by General MacArthur for their part in the Papuan campaign. Major-General R. H. Dewing is at present in Melbourne with a staff of British Army and Royal Air Force officers as a British liaison mission to study the lessons which can be learned from the South Pacific tactics. MajorGeneral Dewing said to-day that the American and Australian forces engaging the Japanese had accumulated valuable information of great interest to the British and Indian military leaders. It was felt that a British liaison staff on the spot when these reports were tabulated could learn a great deal of special value.