DRIVING SOUTH

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 175, 27 July 1942, Page 3

DRIVING SOUTH

JAP. PLAN CLEAR

Allied Air Blitz On Enemy

Force In Papua

Special Australian Correspondent

SYDNEY. July 26

The most intensive air activity which has yet occurred in the South-west Pacific area is reported in to-day's Allied Headquarters communique. Japanese aircraft raided Darwin and Townsville, on the Australian mainland, while the Allied Air Forces continued their heavy attacks on the newly-landed enemy forces at the Gona mission station, Papua.

Throughout Friday and Saturday Allied bombers and fighters maintained their fierce aerial blitz against the enemy forces at the Gona Mission, near Buna. On Friday, 45,0001b of bombs were dropped in the target area, causing large fires among landed stores and silencing an antiaircraft battery.

Following the earlier sinking or crippling of three transports, the remainder of the enemy cargo vessels on Friday found it impossible to unload in the face of our attacks. Escorted by their protecting naval forces, they have been forced to withdraw north.

Two enemy planes were shot down in dogfights over the mission station on Saturday. One of our fighters is missing.

Retaliation raids to relieve the pressure on their forces at Gona were begun by the Japanese on Friday, when 18 bombers escorted by 16 fighters attacked the aerodrome at Port Moresby. The official communique reports no casualties and only slight damage. This attack was followed by the night raids on Darwin and Townsville. On Saturday, our aircraft also made a light raid on an enemy aerodrome at Lae. No claims of specific damage are made. An Allied reconnaissance flight over Rabaul was intercepted by 15 Japanese Zero fighters. One enemy plane was shot down and two others damaged. We suffered no losses. Allied Difficulties Increased Dive bombers, which have made their first appearance in the Southwest Pacific war zone, are twinengined Douglas A24's. This machine was originally put into production for naval use. but was adopted by the United States Army last year.

It is admitted that enemy activity in the Buna area may alter the entire complexion of the aerial warfare in the South-west Pacific. It makes increasingly difficult Allied efforts to blast Japanese bases. American planes flying to Rabaul must now find a new route, since Buna is in a direct line between Port Moresby and this main enemy southward base.

American correspondents are again urging the speedy dispatch of additional air strength to Australia.

"Several squadrons of heavy Liberator bombers would make a big difference to the situation," said Mr. Jack Turcott, writing to the New York Daily News.

It is now reported that the Japanese made their initial landing at Gona on Wednesday under very favourable conditions. The sea was dead calm. Japanese warships heavily bombarded the mission station before their troops landed. An American pilot was responsible for the sinking of the 10,000-ton enemy transport on Wednesday. He said his bombs fell right across the transport and barges alongside it. "The bombs seemed to go straight down the funnel. Everything on the ship buckled and broke up."