RAIDS ON DARWIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1942, Page 3

RAIDS ON DARWIN

DEFEATED WITH LOSS TO ENEMY ELEVEN ZEROS DESTROYED IN THREE DAYS. SIX IN LATEST ATTACK. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) MELBOURNE, June 16. Twenty-seven Japanese bombers, escorted by fighters, raided Darwin for the third day in succession shortly after noon yesterday, says a Press release from the Allied headquarters in Darwin today. Though the raid was extensive, there were only a few casualties and the damage done was slight. “It is thought probable that the enemy’s base for these attacks is Timor. In view of the lull in Japanese activity in the New Guinea area the implication is that the bulk of the enemy air strength has been moved to the north-west. A headquarters communique dealing with the Darwin raid says that in a strong attack the enemy bombers, escorted by 15 Zeros, bombed residential areas and the harbour. The material damage and casualties were light. The Allies intercepted and shot down six enemy fighters, and themselves lost two planes. The total number of Zeros destroyed in the last three days is 11. Our fighters are believed to have shot down a number of the enemy machines. It is also announced that an Allied air unit bombed enemy installations in a night attack on Sohana, in the Solomon Islands.