TOWNSVILLE RAID

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 176, 28 July 1942, Page 5

TOWNSVILLE RAID

SIGNIFICANCE SEEN

Long Reconnaissance By Jap.

Flying-boats

Special Australian Correspondent

United Press Association.—Copyright Hec. 1.30 pm. SYDNEY, this day,

"The bombing of Townsville on Saturday night, though not serious in its results, was serious in that it the enei ny's air offensive 1000 miles closer to Australia's great centres of population and industry," says the Sydney Sun. Townsville is pnly 1025 miles from Sydney and the ineffectual attack made by four enemy flying-boats, which dropped their bombs harmlessly into the harbour, has entirely obscured any complacency caused by the long lull iit the South-west Pacific fighting.

The impression made in Sydney is as great as that caused by the earlier and much heavier raids on Darwin, Wyndham and Broome. "The raid on Townsville, following the Japanese landing at Gona Mission, Papua, suggests that the Japanese have plans for the subjestion of the Port Moresby garrison as a preliminary to further southward encroachment," says the Sydney Morning Herald's war correspondent at General Mac Arthur's headquarters. Previous Visits Of Planes Recalled The last occasion when enemy reconnaissance planes were over Townsville was on May 8 during the Coral Sea battle. It is believed they came from an aircraft carrier. The four-engined flying boats which made Sunday night's raid are thought to have come from Japan's strongest New Guinea base, Lae, more than 800 miles away.

Townsville's normal population of 30.000, swollen by the presence of troops, took the raid calmly. Adequate warning was given and the town was blacked out long before the raiders appeared. Most people went to shelters. Two of the raiders were plainly seen in the searchlight beams.

Darwin has now had 20 enemy raids, but the bombs on Townsville were the first on the east coast of Australia. "More significant than the few bombs they dropped is the fact that the raiding flying-boats were able to carry out a survey of over 800 miles of sea," says The Sun. "They were able to return to their bases with data and courses plotted for further attacks."

The immunity from air attack of Australia's eastern coastline is now ended and Japanese bombs are expected to fall on settled areas even further south. Townsville is only 675 miles north of Brisbane.

A call for an Allied offensive in the south-west Pacific has been made by the Premier of Queensland, Mr. Forgan Smith, commenting on the Japanese raid on Townsville. Much had been written and talked about the necessity of a second front in Europe, but the front that people here were most concerned about was the defence of Australia and New Zealand, he said. The whole war situation would be materially altered

in this area if we were able to take the initiative by offensive action, declared the Premier.