WAR IN PACIFIC NEED OF MORE PLANES

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 21982, 10 March 1943, Page 3

WAR IN PACIFIC

NEED OF MORE PLANES

MR CURTAIN’S STATEMENT STRIKE SWIFT BLOWS <UnitOfi rrppe A==n.- -Klee. Tol. Copyright) (Received March 10. 11 a.m.) CANBERRA. March 10 “The Australian Government's aim was to put to the Allied leaders a case for increased air strength in the South-west Pacific, which would permit swift and massive blows at the enemy.” said the Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, last night. Stressing that such air strength did not yet exist, Mr Curtin said that the Bismarck Sea victory was achieved by brilliant concentration rather than by overwhelming numerical superiority. The total weight of bombs used was 226 tons, as against 1500 tons dropped on Essen in less than forty minutes. Cable messages from America and Britain indicated an inclination on the part of the press commentators to consider that the destruction of the Japanese convoy had established the fact that overwhelming air superiority has been established north of Australia. The disclosure of the small forces used, however, put the Bismarck Sea victory in its correct perspective. When the South-west Pacific Command had at its disposal forces for concentrated bombing like that in the Essen raid the task of blasting the Japanese out of their ring of northern bases would become immeasurably easier.