RAID EXPECTED

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 280, 25 August 1942, Page 5

RAID EXPECTED

Enemy Attacked Over Ocean (Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Special Australian : Correspondent.) (Received August 24, 11.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 24. A total of 29 raids on Darwin, beginning on February 19, has cost the enemy 73 planes. These aircraft comprised 40 Zero fighters, 32 bombers, and one other type. Despite the enemy’s advantage in manoeuvrability and ceiling, experienced Kitty hawk pilots have evidently perfected a technique for dealing with the high-flying Japanese Zero. Sunday’s raid followed a 24 days’ lull. The latest raid was made at noon and was anticipated by Darwin's defenders. Our fighters intercepted the enemy over the sea as he approached from the west. In the first sudden attack three bombers were seen to leave the formation and jettison their bombs, and it was obvious they would be unable to reach their base. Watchers on land could also see Zeros spiralling down, trailing smoke as they fell. The remaining 24 bombers drove on to the target area, but a war correspondent describes their attack as “more panic bombing than pattern bombing.” Some bush fires were started by incendiaries and high explosives, but the service damage was negligible. Allies Use Oxygen. The Allied patrols used oxygen in the ratified atmosphere m which the fignting occurred. The Japanese were evidently determined to make full use or their superior ceiling, but the defenders caught them napping. Au American pilot states he saw a Japanese airman bail out of his machine, an unprecedented happening over enemy territory. However when he flew, past the parachute, there was no one in it. In the raids on Darwin, the enemy have employed 335 heavy bombers, o 4 dive-bombers, and 179 fighters. Ihus their losses average about 12 per cent, of the attacking forces. Bombs dropped in the area are estimated to exceed 700,0001 b. weight. Service casualties are described as “ridiculously few.” Damage to service installations has not silenced a single gun-post, put any part of the communications system out of action, or prevented any aerodrome from operating. Damage to civilian property has been estimated at £26,000. In dogfights with the Japanese, only 17 Kittyhawks of the Darwin fighter force have been lost. From this area many bombing attacks have been made on enemy-occupied territory, and the fact that the aerodrome was the target for Sunday’s raid is significant. After the long lull it was generally felt that l>arwin was overdue for a raid by the Japanese, who arrived, according to local prophets, a day later than expected.