HEAVY BLOW AT TIMOR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 50, 2 March 1943, Page 5

HEAVY BLOW AT TIMOR

JAP AIRCRAFT POUNDED (Special Australian Correspondent—N.Z.P.A.) (Recd. 10.30 p.na.) Sydney, March 1. The greatest number of longrange Beaufighters ever to operate north of Australia has struck a heavy blow at grounded Japanese aircraft on Timor. On Sunday four bombers and nine fighters were destroyed on the ground at Penfoei airfield, and eight more fighters and one bomber are claimed as probably destroyed. Australian-manned Beaufighters attacked just at dawn and poured 18,000 rounds of cannon and machinegun fire into grounded enemy planes. General MacArthur’s communique to-day refers to the raids as a “disaster” for the'enemy. Three Zeros attempted interception, but after one had been put out of action the others retired. These are believed to have been the only enemy aircraft at Penfoei surviving the raid. A feature of the operation was the extent of the damage done by strafing alone, no bombs being dropped. Anti-aircraft positions were silenced and fires started in the buildings area. Other Allied air activity on Sunday ranged from Kei Islands, in the Banda Sea, to Finschhafen and Lae in Northern New Guinea. The Japanese retaliated with ineffectual night raids on our New Guinea bases at Milne Bay and Merauke.

In land fighting around Mubo the Australian forces have driven the Japanese from the Winaining-Waipali area, two miles from Mubo. The enemy has now been thrown back 30 miles from the scene of his defeat at Wau. Many dead Japanese have been discovered by our advancing troops, living further evidence of the effective nature of the incessant Allied air slrafing sweeps. Australian casualties are believed to have been light, and the Sydney Herald New Guinea war correspondent says our troops in the Mubo area are receiving invaluable experience for the day when large-scale fighting breaks out again. He adds that the employment of heavy arms, such as the 25-pounder artillery whenever rgssible. has been a deciding factor n our success. At Wau these guns accounted fnv hundreds of Japanese.