CEASELESS POUNDING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1944, Page 3

CEASELESS POUNDING

OF JAPANESE AIR AND SEA BASES. AIR ATTACKS’ON WEWAK & RABAUL. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY, February 8. Japanese ships and barges in the Wewak area, of New Guinea have been pounded in a devastating Allied air attack. Earlier raids had practically neuralised Wewak as an enemy air base. In their latest blow, which was struck on Saturday, our planes destroyed more than 30 barges and a 2000-ton freighter (possibly a {troop carrier bringing in replacements), as well as setting lire to two small coastal vessels and a corvette,

Japanese air interference was light, but the fighters covering the Allied bombers shot down four enemy machines.

At Hansa Bay, midway between Wewak and Madang, our medium bombers and fighters sweeping the coast sank a Japanese coastal vessel and four barges. Near Madang, enemy island installations were hit with 68 tons of explosives. Momoto aerodrome at Lorengau, in the Admiralty Islands, north of New Guinea, was the target for 81 tons of bombs.

Rabaul. New Britain, on Saturday was again attacked by more than 150 of our Solomons-based aircraft. Nearly 40 tons of bombs were concentrated on Lakunai aerodrome. Intense anti-air-craft fire was encountered, but the enemy fighter defence was weak. Seven enemy planes were shot down and four others probably destroyed. Four Allied planes were lost.