DARING FLIGHTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23260, 23 July 1945, Page 4

DARING FLIGHTS

Reconnaissance Over Ra.ba.ul Defences Equal I hose Of I ! . Iwo Jirna Olllclal R.N.Z.A F. Nv'.l.i Servli’e I lying in and out in valley-., tiiisling an,and hi:!-, and skimming iln‘ Hee h>; >. lv.o I ell Mv. Zi-;-.!a.)-l ( nr-.i-.ir piioG. bqu.m--i-on !.:-ader 1.. 11. nim-w-. id paipukuraii. »BS I in,. . i i.-ulr m d.i. Archibald, of J m l ..erm;• 11. have connaissanee of Rar.anl and the Gazelle i'enin-mla. New i.riiam. ,V. a re ul: of ihi'ir efiarts. it i. now I believed that the 51,.Mi1) Japanese 1 lioidiin; Un- area have d.- . .-i.iped system-, of fixed i-eleni e- rivalling those id inn .liin.i. The exisieme 01 a J.ipaue.-e Gazelle peninsula di.-ti n lie p -i ,-m . r ..... i..-.:. been Known. Tokio ranio lias iib-j.-iiu ot Rabaul as an "im:,;<• i.. li.rlre.-.-.' with more than Jot) miles nt u.idei,ground loriilica i m.- and |>< wciltd positions cut into tin- hills. The two New Zealanders have re.> a.cd detailed features lor the fust lime. In their Hights tin- pilots pried into every unusual feature of the jungle landscape. They pin-pointed numerous centres of Japanese activity, ranging from large storehouses railways, saw milltruck park: and to extensive camp areas. Distribution Centre With its splendid haroour, capable of accomm<;i:u .. t: Im;. to -lof snipping, with its five airfields and with many miles of good roads, Rabaul, at the end of 1943 had become the mam Japanese sea, air and distribution centre south of Truk. It supplied tire Japanese on rhe two lanes at the north of tile 50-mile-sciuare Gazelle Peninsula. For two yeiir.s the area lias been under continual Allied bombing. Australian troops are astride the l!l-mile neck oi [lie peninsula. The main enemy strength is concentrated in u rough tnanpie cutin.. 1 across the north-eastern corner of the square Iron: the Waianw.i to tm Kcruvat Rivers, Within tins area lie nearly 100 cucomit plainmions. a.id '.he whole I coastal plain ha.. the appearance ol a lived mure than Jii.OCO ..auvu,. aouthwurds, tlr- pemi.;, bri k n by -y. jtmale-clad ru.gcs, dvcjly cut by One of th" .'.lrong-t-st positions situ by the Corner pilots a lonceiiirutien of revetments, with guns and pillboxes overlooking a iu adlaiid and ba.,. Several large tunnels laced ■ • .. to sea. and lour ran into a small valley. The entrances were careluily im.mullae-d. Nearby was a large sawmill and camp area. Under the tall timber a light railway was seen running, and on one side of the road was a heap of shells. Further down the coast the airmen picked out .smaller, more scattered camps. Hill Defences Dug-in fortifications and gun positions marked another section Qf the powerful enemy defences. Many Japanese were observed working on hill defences and four tunnels running right through a hill were being worked with rails and tip trolleys. A camouflaged command post stood on the top of the ridge and the surrounding jungle held many camouflaged huts. Branch roads ran off to supply living areas. Trucks stood in camouflaged revetments. This district showed signs of intense activity, with Japanese building fortifications and loading trucks. Patrolling Corsairs strafed the area, destroying three trucks and damaging four. Japanese were seen trying to unload the trucks after they had caught fire. In another area the New Zealanders spotted many tank traps and trench systems. Extremely large camps were set in the jungle along the beds of ravines, and roads were so well hidden they could only be picked out at intervals. Defences were under construction west of this point, and numbers of smaller camps, trenches and tank obstacles were just being started. Two

sawmills were working, both with light railways. It was a dangerous mission, carried out with greet audacity under the nose of a well-armed enemy. In the Corsairs’ favour was the fact that tire enemy regarded himself reasonably safe from intruders as he worked industriously in his jungle and mountain fastnesses. Four times on these missions they were shot at, but only once was an aircraft hit. It completed its reconnaissance and returned safely to base. The pilots’ findings, which have been co-ordinated with an extensive photographic survey recently completed by New Zealand Ventura crews, are proving of immense value to the Allied commanders in the Bismarcks area. Already some of the important targets they discovered are feeling the weight of Allied bombs.