IN RABAUL HARBOUR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 150, 28 June 1943, Page 5

IN RABAUL HARBOUR

JAP AIRCRAFT-CARRIER SIGHTED PLANE CONCENTRATIONS ATTACKED (Special Australian Correspondent—N.Z.P.A.) Recd. 7.40 p.m. Sydney, June 27. The concentration of Japanese shipping in Rabaul Harbour now includes a small converted aircraft-carrier. The latest reconnaissance also shows 170 planes on the Rabaul airfield network. This figure shows a slight increase on the numbers recently sighted. It is possible the 'carrier has been used to ferry aircraft to this key enemy base. The Japanese shipping concentration at Rabaul, including warships, remains substantially unchanged. Aircraft concentrations on the Vunakanua aerodrome and the Rabaul dock installations wt'rc again attacked by General MacAruiur’s heavy bombers. In a pre-dawn raid on Saturday more than 20 tons oi high explosives and incendiaries were dropped. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered. Two of our bombers are missing. To-days communique makes no specific claims of damage inflicted. An Australian Beaufort bomber on Friday scored a near miss on one of three 1000-ton Japanese vessels in a convoy between New Britain and the Northern Solomons. A destroyer was escorting the merchantmen, wnich appeared to be heading in the direction of Bougainville. The Beaufort attacked 65 miles south-south-east ol Cape St. George, in the Rabaul area. Lae, in northern New Guinea, has been under heavy attack by Allied medium bombers, but dense smoke prevented accurate assessment of the ■ damage. The Madang and Finschhafen areas were also raided in the past 48 hours. Offensive activity by Gen. MacArthur's bombers in this period has been limited, and there are no reports of Japanese air activity. North of Australia enemy aerodromes at Penfoei and Dilli, Timor, have been attacked and fires started in dispersal areas. ' . < ’ ( < ( ; ' « . ■ : , i