BELIEVED SUNK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22478, 13 January 1943, Page 5

BELIEVED SUNK

Japanese Cruiser Or

Destroyer

Land And Air Operations In Pacific

By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright

(10.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 12. A Japanese light cruiser or large destroyer is believed to have been sunk off New Britain by Australian Beaufort torpedo-bombers, which attacked at dusk last Sunday. The warship was hit amidships by a torpedo. A shattering explosion followed and the ship was enveloped in smoke. A dawn reconnaissance next morning found no sign of the warship which is thought to have sunk during the night. This is the first success announced for torpedobombers in the South-west Pacific area.

The correspondent of the Sydney “Sun” with the United States naval forces in the South Pacific reports that while the Japanese armada has been congregating at Rabaul, Admiral William Halsey sent a powerful battleship and cruiser task forces into northern waters. Japanese reconnaissance aircraft trailed the forces but the enemy warships made no attempt to give battle, in spite of Tokio radio boasts that the Japanese would like nothing better than to meet the United States Pacific Fleet.

North of Australia Allied Hudsons bombed the jetty at Dobo in the- cent.c of the enemy occupied Aru Group, north-east of Darwin. Dobo was used by the Japanese for some time as a seaplane anchorage. Before the war it was the headquarters of the Japanese pearling fleet. In skirmishing around Sanananda where full scale fighting has not yet developed an Allied flanking movement by strong patrols on the west of ihe enemy’s main positions * captured equipment. Atillery and machine-gun fire killed some Japanese in the Tarakina village area.

Australia’s Thanks

The Prime Minister of Australia (Mr J. Curtin) has sent the following message to the Allied Commander-in-Chief of the South-west Pacific Area (General MacArthur):

“The Order of the Day issued by you on the concluding stages of the south-west New Guinea operations marks a notable and historic stage in the Pacific war, as the enemy was not only defeated in a further attempt to reach Port Moresby, but he suffered the destruction of his forces landed for that purpose. “I express to you and your commanders and all ranks of the Australian and American forces the thinks and admiration of the Australian people and Government for their magnificent services. The campaign was fought in most trying conditions and in one of the most difficult regions in the world. The forces under your command not only overcame these immense natural difficulties, but they also decisively defeated a stubborn, tenacious foe.

“This campaign has been a demonstration of the comradeship in arms between the forces of the United States of America and Australia, whir** I am sure, will continue until the common foe is totally defeated.”

American war correspondents in the South-west Pacific have been informed by the United States Army that they have now been assimilated in the rank of second lieutenant. This does not in any way affect the status of a correspondent as it exists to-day. The rank is granted purely as to benefit the correspondent and his dependents. Should a correspondent be captured by the enemy his dependents will receive from the Army Department the same allotment as that paid to a second-lieutenant. American war correspondents will not wear any insignia of rank. British and Dominion accredited correspondents, as distinct from official war correspondents, receive no pay or benefits from the military forces, nor do their dependents receive any benefits should they be killed, wounded or captured.