RAID ON SUMBA ISLAND

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23970, 10 June 1943, Page 5

RAID ON SUMBA ISLAND

JAPANESE BASE IN EAST INDIES NEAR MISSES AGAINST CARGO SHIP (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Hec. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 9. Flying more than 1400 miles on the round trip, a small force of General Mac Arthur's Liberator bombers on Tuesday attacked Japanese shipping at Waingapu, on Sumba Island, in the Netherlands East Indies. They scored two damaging near misses with 5001b bombs against a 5000-ton cargo vessel. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered from ships in the harbour and shore batteries. Waingapu may have been the base from which Japanese aircraft last month made two raids on Exmouth Gulf, in Western Australia. It has a small airfield and its sheltered harbour waters make it suitable for a seaplane base.

Over the Bismark Sea area a Liberator on reconnaissance sighted and attacked a small enemy convoy 35 miles from Kawieng. No hits were reported. The convoy, comprising four merchantmen of between 4000 and 5000 tons, with gunboat escort, was probably bound for Rabaul. There is a steady passage of enemy vessels between Kawieng and Rabaul. With the maintained improvement In the weather throughout the south-west Pacific area on Tuesday, Allied aircraft were over eight enemy bases. Kaimana and Babo, in Dutch New Guinea, Dili! and Koepang, in Timor, and Cape Gloucester in New Britain, were all bombed. The heaviest attack was on Babo, where a night raid on the aerodrome supply dump area caused explosions which rocked our aeroplanes at 6000 feet. In support of the Australian troopS fighting round Mubo, Beaufighters strafed buildings and supply trails SR Komiatum. JAPANESE LOSE 19 AIRCRAFT FORMATION ATTACKED BY U.S. FIGHTERS LONDON. June 8. Nineteen Japanese aircraft were destroyed in an air battle in the Solomons when United States fighters attacked a formation of between 40 and 50 enemy machines. A United States Navy Department communique, reporting the engagement, says: “Yesterday morning, from 40 to 50 Japanese Zero fighters and torpedo-bombers were attacked by United States fighters in the vicinity of the Russell Islands. Nineteen Zeros were shot down and six were damaged. We lost seven aeroplanes, but three of the pilots were saved. “Eight Japanese were killed and 11 destroyed themselves on Attti Island, in the Aleutians, making the total known Japanese dead 1826 up to yesterday.’?. U.S. AIR ATTACK IN BURMA •(8.0.W.) RUGBY. June 8, »■ American bombers yesterday. attacked an enemy encampment in the Myitkyina area of Burma, according to a United States communique. Barracks were destroyed. All the aeroplanes returned. BUTTER RATION IN AUSTRALIA INCREASE SOUGHT BY -sdm! WORKERS (Rec“ U.SO. p.m-)-: ‘ SYDNEY, Junfe 8. Complaints about butter rationing have been made by Australian epal miners, wharf labourers, and railwaymen. At one colliery 490 miners staged a one-day strike as a protest against the rationing, claiming that half a pound of butter a week for each person was inadequate for miners. The Newcastle Waterside Workers’ Federation has decided to seek an increase in the ‘ ration of butter for wharf labourers. Their complaint, is that, like miners and railwaymen, they are forced to, take, many cut meals to their work, sofnetimes two a day. They contend that this fact, together with the nature of their work, justifies a double ration of butter. The vast majority of Australians have accepted butter rationing without complaint, the amount being considered quite adequate for the average consumer .Following appeals to surrender last year's clothing -coupons, many people, however, feel that they have been unfairly treated by the inclusion of certain Manchester goods (towels, sheeting, and other cotton goods) in the coupon coverage for personal clothing. City stores report that thousands of women have besieged their lay-by departments, demanding refunds of deposits and instalments paid on Manchester goods. Coupons must now be surrendered for these goods immediately the Intending purchaser makes a lay-by. Rumours that flour and soap are likely to be rationed soon have been denied by the Minister of Trade and Customs (Senator Keane); Mild panic buying had started in these commodities. Some people are reported to have bought fcbap by the hundredweight. The Minister pointed out that it was an offence for any person to spread rumours about probable rationing of any commodity, THE COUNTRY WOMAN IN BRITAIN QUEEN PRAISES PART IN WAR EFFORT (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 8. Appreciation and thanks for the mag. nifleent contribution by the Women’s Institutes towards winning the war were expressed by the Queen, addressing the conference of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes. Her Majesty said; “To-day the place of the country woman is more important than ever before. Despite all wartime difficulties it is she who must care for the workers who are growing our food, use her skill to make the best possible use of that food, bring up hec children to love and defend those values for which we are fighting, and guide them to love and cherish our beautiful country, of which we are so proud. “To-day our villages are sadly empty, the young men are away fighting, and girls, too, are away on war work. The great responsibility of carrying on rests with the older women, and how gallantly they are doing this. “When we have won through to peace, a great page in the history of Britain's war effort should be devoted to the country women in this dear land of ours who, left to carry on in the villages, tackled their jobs quietly, with zeal and efficiency.” British Minister to Russia,— Mr John Balfour, the British Minister in Lisbon, has been appointed British Minister in Moscow. This means that for the first time Britain will be represented in the Russian capital by both an Ambassador and a Minister, —London, June 9.