JAPANESE PLANS IN PACIFIC

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 3, 5 January 1943, Page 5

JAPANESE PLANS IN PACIFIC

AERIAL DEFENCE CHAIN ROUND THE CONQUERED TERRITORIES (Special Australian Correspondent—N.Z.P.A.) (Recd. 6.30 p.m.) Sydney, Jan. 4. The Japanese, both on the northern coast of New Guinea and in the southern part of New Britain, are busy building aerodromes and strengthening other defences. These activities appear to be part of the enemy’s plan to form a strong aerial defence chain around the conquered territories.

“It would be unlikely the Japanese would be building aerodromes if they had nothing to put on them,” commen is the Sydney Herald war correspondent in New Guinea. Reports from reconnaissance pilots who have been over Gasmata, NewBritain, during the past week state that the enemy has carried out many imnrovements to the loimer conimeicial aviation landing ground, and that it will be tit for service during the current rainy season. Although hampered by frequent Allied bombings, the Japanese working party which landed at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, about three weeks ago are making progress with building an allweather air-strip. At Vunakanau, one of the main airfields in the Rabaul area, a new strip has been completed, and along the northern New Guinea coast much work has been done in developing the air of Finchhafen, Madang and We Wak. Similar intensive activity in aerodrome cons ruction is reported from the Solomons. The north-west coast of Bougainville is reported to have enemy s°a and land plane bases about every 50 miles from ton to bottom. The main enemy nor h Now Guinea air base at Lae now looks like a “junk trap” following Saturday’s smashing raid. In the dispersal bays and along the runways there is littered wreckage from manv Zeros and bombers. Marauders, Mitchells. Bostons, Beaufighters and Lightnings made the raid. Bos'on pilots made the first attacking run and found only two serviceable looking planes on the 'drome, both of which wore destroyed. No enemv fighters took th* 4 air in an attempt to stem (he Allied | attack, and time ‘was little sign of activity in the area.