SURPRISE EXPLOITED

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22354, 22 May 1944, Page 3

SURPRISE EXPLOITED

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE SHIPS AND INSTALLATIONS (Special Australian Correspondent) SYDNEY, May 21 Co-ordinated attacks by aircraft from the Allied commands dealt a powerful blow at the Japanese naval base at Sourabaya, Java, on Wednesday. About 100 carrier-borne planes from the South-east Asia and Central Pacific areas co-operated with Australian-based Liberators of the South-west Pacific Command. This was the first time that the forces of the three commands have joined in combined action. An official announcement of the raid was made from the headquarters of General MacArthur, in whose command the area of Sourabaya is situated. A special communique issued last night gives the following list of successes:— The important Braat naval engineering works was demolished. Two floating dry docks were heavily damaged. Ships Directly Hit Ten ships in the harbour, totalling 35,000 tons, received direct hits. They included a tanker and possibly a destroyer. One ship blew up and the others probably sank. The Wonokroma oil refinery was destroyed and the power-house demolished. Twenty-one Japanese planes were destroyed, 19 on the ground and two in the air. Heavy damage was done in the railway marshalling yards. A hospital ship close to the target area was carefully avoided. . When the power-station was blown up and the oil storage tanks at the Wonokroma refinery was set on fire the smoke rose 5000 ft.

A complete surprise was effected and the Allied losses were only three planes. The Japanese ground fire was weak. The escorting naval units for the carrier-based planes were British, American, Australian, French and Dutch-manned ships. These naval forces suffered neither damage nor casualties. Flight of 2500 Miles

Following the first blow, by British and American carrier-based planes ,at dawn on Wednesday, a follow-up raid by American-manned Liberators from an Australian base was made about midnight. These heavy bombers found huge fires from l the daylight attack still burning and concentrated their bombs on the same general target area, causing further extensive damage. All the planes ; returned from this attack, which involved a round flight of 2500 miles. This devastating blow against Sourabaya is of first importance as demonstrating clearly the co-ordin-ated nature of the plans of the separate Allied commands in the war against the Japanese. It is further convincing proof of the Allied initiative and discloses new possibilities of aggressive moves. This was the seventh Allied air attack on Sourabaya. The earlier raids were made by Australian-based bombers, the most recent being on March 20. Sourabaya is about 1250 miles north-west of Darwin and 1370 miles south-east of Sabang which j was raided by carrier-borne aircraft ! from the Indian Ocean on April 20. First-Class Naval Installations

The Japanese seized the port on March 7, 1942, and rebuilt the installations destroyed by the Dutch when they left the area. The wharves and anchorages can accommodate 80 warships. Its first-class naval installations, including docks, have been extensively used by the Japanese. Sourabaya is also one of Java’s most important oil refining and distribution centres. Before the war it was the centre of administrative and cultural life in the Indies, having a population of 330,000 Indonesians and 26,000 Europeans. Mr Churchill has sent the following message to Admiral Somerville: “I cordially congratulate you and your fleet, and especially the aircraft crews, upon the skilful execution and the happy results of your operation against Sourabaya. Please repeat my thanks to the United States and Dutch units which participated.”