FURTHER LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1942, Page 3

FURTHER LOSSES

OF SHIPS ANO AIRCRAFT SUFFERED BY JAPANESE IN PACIFIC. POWERFUL ALLIED AIR ATTACKS ON RABAUL. LONDON. December 28. In the Pacific American aircraft have raided Japauese shore installations at Kiska, in the Aleutians, and have made a heavy night raid on Rabaul, in the south-west; Pacific area. Direct bond) hits were scored on a 15,000ton Japanese transport and on three •8,000-ton freighters. It is believed that all the ships are a total loss. All the American aircraft got back .safelv from Rabaul.

In the New Georgia area it is now known that American aircraft, sank two Japanese ships and not one as previously reported. Spectacular new Allied air successes have been won in the South-West Pacific battle zone, a special correspondent in Sydney reports. The weekend score of Japanese aircraft destroyed was at least 31 and probably 34. Four more enemy ships have been wrecked at Rabaul. In furious air battles over New Guinea on Sunday 19 enemy aircraft were shot down. Lockheed Lightnings won a signal success when they dived on a formation of 27 Zeros and 15 dive-bombers over Buna. Thirteen of Hie Zeros and two dive-bombers were destroyed, 'the remainder of the enemy force turned tail and fled. In use for the first time in the New Guinea battle zone, the Lightnings made a sensational combat debut. Only 12 of them were in the flight, but despite the heavy odds none of the new Allied fighters was lost. One received slight damage. Of twin fuselaged design, the Lightnings have great speed and fire power. Their pilots have been “spoiling” for a clash with the Japanese fighters ■ for some time and the outcome of the Buna air battle is being hailed with delight. Allied anti-aircraft fire destroyed one Zero over Buna, while three mure were shot down when they attacked Hudsons engaged in transport work. Patrolling Kittyhawks entered the fight and drove off the attackers. One Hudson, loaded with A.I.F. wounded, was damaged and the pilot made a forced landing in the.sea. Two of the wounded were killed. Japanese planes in the Solomons have been dropping parachutes to supply the troops on Guadalcanal. About 30 parachutes were seen on the beach. The Americans quickly bombed and strafed them. This is the first time that the Japanese have tried this method of getting supplies to their troops on the island. RABAUL HEAVILY POUNDED. The main Japanese southward air base at Rabaul is now being pounded from two flanks —by the air forces of both General MacArthur and Admiral Halsey. The latest" raid, which followed the Christmas Day attack from Guadalcanal, was by _ heavy bombers of General MacArthur s command, Liberators and Fortresses, which reached their targets in the face of intense ground opposition. A deluge of 5001 b. bombs on the harbour, and shipping was followed by showers of incendiaries on Rabaul township. The most important shipping victim was a 15,000-ton transport, last seen lying on its side in the centre of the harbour. Two other 8000-ton vessels were set ablaze in the harbour, while a third 8000-tonner left burning in St. George’s Channel was abandoned by her crew. The attack was m,ade in hazy weather and the damage is believed to have been even greater than claimed in General MacArthur’s communique. These combined raids on Rabaul have been interpreted by the “New ■York Times” Washington correspondent as the “beginning of an Allied offensive which could result in an early amphibious attack on this Japanese base.” The correspondent points out that several enemy supporting bases, including Lae, Salamaua, Munda and Buina, must be cleaned up first, but emphasises that the twin aerial campaign against Rabaul from Australia and the Solomons is a great forward move which will make it difficult fol the Japanese to maintain effective defences at Rabaul as well as at their satellite bases. . Other widespread Allied air offensives in the South-West Pacific theatres have included attacks on the new Japanese aerodrome at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, and the destruction of enemy warehouses at Madang and Finschhafen, New Guinea, where Japanese reinforcements landed recently. Systematic attacks are also being kept up against the Japanese in Timor. Supplies and road transport at Laivai, on the coast, about 70 miles from Dilli, have again been bombed and strafed. JAPANESE PLANES LOSSES AND PRODUCTION. AN AMERICAN ESTIMATE. NEW YORK, December 27. Writing in the “New York Herald Tribune,” Mai or Fielding Eliot estimates that the Japanese, since August, have lost 1416 planes in the Solomons, averaging 314 a month, and have produced at the same time from 250 to 400 combat planes monthly. This means that they are losing almost their entire production. This total does not include losses in New Guinea, China, or the Aleutians or operational losses in training, ferrying, or convoying. The Japs are making the greatest efforts to increase their output, but are meeting with insuperable obstacles, particularly a shortage of machine tools, fuel, and lubricants. Therefore, it is impossible to design and produce new models embodying recent fighting experience. On the other hand, American designs have steadily improved. Furthermore, there is ample evidence that the Japanese pilot training programme is unable to keep up with losses. MANY ATTACKS MADE BY AMERICAN AIRMEN. IN SOUTH AND NORTH PACIFIC. (British Official Wireless.) ■ (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, December 28. A United States Navy Department communique states: “Additional reports have been received about the attack by dive-bombers from Guadalcanal on a small group of enemy ships southward of Vanguni Island, off New Georgia In addition to the 3,000-ton-ner announced + o have been sunk near Wickham Island, a second enemy ship is now also known to have been sunk during the attack, which took place on Saturday. It is also announced that on Sunday, discovered about

thirty cargo-laden parachutes on the beach at Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal. Army Airocobras subsequently bombed and strafed the enemy supplies which had been flown in, Dauntless dive-bombers and airacobras bombed and strafed the Japanese in an area north-west of Kokumbona, Guadalcanal. “On Saturday Lightning fighters strafed Japanese shore installations at Kiska, in the Aleutians. Two Lightnings were lost, but one pilot was rescued.”