AIRMEN IMPROVING TECHNIQUE RAPIDLY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 127, 1 June 1942, Page 5

AIRMEN IMPROVING TECHNIQUE RAPIDLY

NEW GUINEA FRONT

Successes Scored In Night

Operations United Tress Association.—Copyright. Rec. 11.30 MELBOURNE, this day. Reports reaching General Headquarters from the North Australian front show that the Allied airmen are fast perfecting their technique of night operations. Taking advantage of the moonlight again on Friday they raided bases as widely scattered as the Solomon Islands and Rabaul and Dilli (Timor). Americans who saw action in the Philippines, say the Japanese are poor night flyers and this is being borne out by the negligible damage so far reported from enemy night raids on Port Moresby. In sharp contrast is the record of the smashing successes by the Allied raiders as outlined in communiques from General Headquarters at the weekend. The Daily Telegraph representative at an undisclosed operational base says that heavy reinforcements of long-range Zero fighters, which the Japanese are throwing into the New Guinea battle, have given a new angle to the struggle. The Zero is unquestionably the most serious factor with which the Allied air forces have to cope. The Japanese are apparently pinning their faith on large numbers of the newer type of Zeros as a check to our policy of wearing down their air power in New Guinea. The Allied air force* meanwhile, is taking advantage of moonlit nights and is sending over bombers on a new schedule. The New Guinea war would quickly be decided in our favour if the United Nations had fighters in aciTon capable of matching the range of the Zero. One disadvantage of the Zero is that its range has been achieved at the cost of vulnerability. Mcreover, our bombers have such effective armament that they frequently come off best in actual combat with Zeros. U.S. Leader's Tribute General Brett, deputy-commander-in-chief, south-west Pacific, in an interview at the week-end at an undisclosed operational base, said that Australian squadrons were being equipped with, and Australian pilots were being trained in, the latest high-speed American aircraft so that they could take their places in the first line of battle. Paying a tribute to the men at present engaged on actual operations against the enemy, General Brett said: "Those lads are doing a fine job. They are the heart of the whole show." He expressed confidence in the ultimate outcome of the war over New Guinea, and said: "We are still maintaining a three to one advantage over the enemy in losses on the ground and in the air. We shall continue to hammer the enemy wherever he tries to establish himself." DAYLIGHT OFFENSIVE OVER THE LOW COUNTRIES Rec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, May 31. The Air Ministry states:—"Our fighters carried out a number of offensive operations over enemyoccupied territory to-day. Off the Dutch coast an armed trawler was set on fire and sunk, and two other vessels were driven aground. In Belgium railway targets and barges were attacked, and this evening sweeps were made over northern France, "In the course of these operations four enemy fighters were destroyed. Eight of ours are missing." The Air Ministry states that in last night's attack on Cologne three enemy aircraft were shot down by our bombers. A fourth was destroyed by our fighters over Holland.