JAPANESE AIR POWER AGAIN ATTACKED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 145, 19 June 1944, Page 5

JAPANESE AIR POWER AGAIN ATTACKED

DUTCH NEW GUINEA MACARTHUR’S OFFENSIVE (Ollicial War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) Reed, 6.30 p.m. Sydney, June 18. The remnants of Japanese airpower in New Guinea have suffered a severe blow. Sorong, in Western Dutch New Guinea, the last remaining effective enemy base on the island, has been smashed by General Mac Art. :ur’s bombers and fighters. At least 50 enemy aircraft concentrated there were destroyed. < : t her on the ground or in air combat. To-day 7s South-west Pacific communique says that a complete tactical surprise was effected. The airfields at Sorong were left covered by; smoke, with numerous fires in the supply and dispersal areas. While the main South-west Pacific Allied air blow reported during the week-end was against, the Japanese plane strength, further punishing strikes were made against the enemy’s sea communications in Western Dutch, New Guinea. The port of Koas, 60 miles west of Babo, on the i MacClure Gulf, was the chief target Harbour installations and ware. iousc.- I were destroyed and a 1000-ton vessel, j as well as a number of barges, were I either sunk or damaged. Al. Manok-j ware, several coastal vessels were hit. American invasion forces on Biak Island, in this sector are making steady progress in their drive towards Eorokoe airfield. The Japanese have employed tanks to support their infantry and artillery in attempting to stem the American advance. Three enemy tanks were destroyed in the latest lighting, and four five-inch guns captifced. Bazooka guns accounted for two of the tanks. The Japanese lost 160 killed in an unsuccessful counter-attack, intending to foil the Allied enveloping movement. Strong enemy positions are believed to confront the Americans attacking Borokoe, 1h P second of the island's three airfields. The first of these, Mokmer, was captured more than a week ago. A gradual widening of the arc of the South-west Pacific bomber oporations has again been evidenced by further raids on Yap, Palau and Truk. These targets have been hit on sucI ccssive days. Again Liberators raiding Truk encountered lighter opposition. One of 15 intercepting enemy machines was shot clown. Liberators attacking Yap, 500 miles north-west of Palau, had to fly blind through hundreds of miles of terrific storms. The first attacks on this important enemy base by land-based