JAP BASES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 39, 17 February 1943, Page 5

JAP BASES

AUSTRALIAN BOMBERS’ OPERATIONS HEAVY AERIAL ASSAULTS ENEMY EVACUATES DOBO ISnecial Australian Correspondent—N.Z.P.A.) (Recd. 11 p.m.) Sydney, Feb. 16. Heavy aerial assaults were marie on seven Japanese bases in the South-west Pacific area on Monday. About 70 bombers took part in these attacks, the principal objectives being Rabaul in New Britain. Lae in New Guinea, Bobo in the Aru Islands and Ambon in Amboina. Not a single plane was lost. The day's operations are believed to constitute a South-west Pacific record for the number of bombers employed. All the bases have been pounded for several weeks past. General MacArthur’s communique reports tnat the enemy has apparently been forced to abandon Dobo.

.Fox. the second successive night the Allied bombers made their biggest effort against the key enemy base oi Rabaul. Striking in twe waves Flying Fortresses dropped about 40 tons' o', high c,plosives and 1500 incendiaries. The destruction is again believed to have been heavy. The attacks lastec for two hours.

The first wave of Flying Fortresses concentrated on the north and northeastern sides of Simpson's Harbour and the second flight on the west side. As after Sunday’s raid, large fires raged all around the harbour and explosions occurred in ammunition dumps near the Toboi wharf. The town was a mass of flames when our bombers left.

A single Fortress which began the raid by starting a large blaze on the Rapopo aerodrome stayed over the area to make observations. No fewer than 16 separate flres were counted. These were widely distributed. At Stettin Bay, south-east of the Tala Sea, on the Wlllaume Peninsula, New Britain, a heavy bomber on reconnaissance scored direct hits on a Japanese cargo ship. The enemy's main New Guinea base of Lae received another damaging blow. Two waves of Mitchells and Havocs, with an escort of Lightnings,

dropped 17 tons of bombs on supply dumps in the Malahangh aerodrome area with devastating results. The I’inschhafen aerodrome was also bombed.

North of Australia the Japanese appear to have been forced to abandon Dobo, their base in the Aru Islands. The destruction of installations was completed on Monday, when two flights of Hudsons raided the area. This was the second big attack on Dobo within a week. On the first occasion .three-quarters of the town was destroyed.

General MacArthur’s communique to-day states:—“The town is now in ruins. The wharves are destroyed and the enemy has apparently been forced to abandon the position as a base.” At the important naval base of Ambon, 580 miles north of Darwin, an 8000-ton enemy transport is believed to have been destroyed following two direct hits with 5001bs. of bombs. Liberators which made the raid drove off four intercepting Zeros and started big flres in military installations near the port.

The sole mention of ground operations in General MacArthur’s communique to-day is that 72 additional Japanese dead have been counted along the enemy’s line of retreat from Zau to Mobo, in northern New Guinea. Australian patrols continue to round up small parties of enemy stragglers.