FROM SECRET BASES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 114, 18 May 1942, Page 5

FROM SECRET BASES

i I EBIU ARY ATTACKS ON JAPANESE Rugby, May 15 l The Australian Air Department h;i. told how a handful of Australian am ■’ British pilots, many operating fron • secret aerodromes in Palembang • Sumatra, wrought havoc for 24 hour: ■ on February 15 among the invad'm Japanese forces of 40 naval vessel ■ and transports approaching th l / Palembang area. '■ British bombers and fighters nt i tacked, bombing and machine-gun - uning the ships and loaded barge packed with soldiers. Transports an s barges destroyed were attacked fron I mastheight. a. One 10.000-ton ship and one 4000 ton vessel packed with troops wer s sunk. While one 5000-tonner and an o other of 3500 tons were left burnim r It is estimated that 20 barges wer h sunk. Three Japanese planes were de stroyed and five damaged during th engagement.--8.0.W.