BRILLIANT DEFENCE OF DARWIN

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 260, 1 August 1942, Page 8

BRILLIANT DEFENCE OF DARWIN

Southward Air Advance

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.-Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received July 31, 11.50 p.m.) , . SYDNEY July 31. The greatest air battle of the war in the south-west lacihc ua fought over Darwin yesterday afternoon Seven Japanese h?avy bombers and two fighters were shot down for the loss of one Allied plane when our fighters intercepted a raiding f<nce of 27 bombe . escorted bv 22 Zero fighters. , ■ . ■ The action is described in today’s Allied headquarters commumqu as “brilliant.”

At tlie same time another Japanese force was attacking Port HedJand, which is 300 miles southeast of Broome on Australia’s north-west coast. This is the farthest point south to be raided by the enemy. Bombing from a great height, the nine planes employed caused little damage and only one casualty. Port Hedland is approximately 1000 miles north of Perth by air line. A previous air attack on this coast was made ■by the Japanese on March 3, when Broome and Wyndham, 4SO miles farther north, were attacked. Port Hedland is the terminus of the railway from the mining centre of Marble Bar, and it is a regular port of call for vessels trading along Australia’s north-west coast. Jap. Transport on Fire.

Enemy bombers yesterday also made light and ineffectual attacks on Port Moresby and on Horn Island in Torres Straits. In the New Guinea sector yesterday the initiative was with the Allies. Our.heavy bombers scored five direct hits on a medium-sized Japanese transport 100 miles off the northeastern coast. The ship was set on fire, and the blaze was visible 30 miles away. " , An escorting destroyer was raked with machinegun fire, and its anti-air-craft fire was silenced. An Allied reconnaissance plane in the same area shot down one enemy fighter and probably destroyed a'second. . From all.these operations three of our planes-are missing. During this intensified air activity there hasjieen a temporary lull in the Papuan land * fighting" in'the Kokoda sector. Kokoda village is still in “no man’s land.” The country in which-the fighting is taking place comprises alternating Tolling kunai grasslands and thick jungle. The kunai grass areas are stated to be capable of ready conversion to aerodromes merely by catting the grass,

and it has been estimated that an emergency lauding field could be. cleared in four hours. Landing in uncleared kunai areas would be hazardous, and such landing fields could be used only in dry weather. Results at Darwin.

No mention is made in today s Allied communique of damage and casualties caused by the heavy raid on Darwin, which was made following an ineffectual light attack in the morn 1 ing. The Japanese formation, however, was completely’ broken up by the intercepting Allied fighters, which scored a conspicuous success. The transport attacked by the Allied bombers off the New Guinea coast is stated bv observers to have been obviously headed for the new enemy base at Gona. It was sighted by an Allied reconnaissance plane, which quickly brought the bombers to the attack.