MAINTAINING BRISK OFFENSIVE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 103, 26 January 1943, Page 5

MAINTAINING BRISK OFFENSIVE

MacArthur’s Bombers

(By Telegraph. — Press Assn.--Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.)

( Received January 25, 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, January 25

The air war throughout the Southwest Pacific is maintaining its quickened tempo. For the sixth time in eight (lays Rtt’btiul lias been attacked, airfields being tlie targets for Flying Fortresses yesterday. Large fires were burning when the bombers turned for home. For the first time in several months, General MacArthur’s communique today makes no reference to land fighting, and is devoted exclusively to tlie air operations. No further mention is made of tlie Japanese shipping concentration at Rabaul, where Allied bombers sank or crippled vessels aggregating 70,000 tons during the past week. Possible hits are today claimed for a night reeonnaissant e bomber which attacked a Japanese vessel in Hie Solomons Sea (between New Britain and tlie northern Solomons). Lae and Salamaua, the imiioi'lant. Japanese liases on the north New Guinea coast, have been raided daily during the past 10 days, and further to Hie west along the coastline Madnng has been raided 11 times and Finschlmfen nine limes in 15 days. Our bombers again attacked targets on Timor and in tlie Arafura Sea area, where the Japanese are increasingly active in developing bases and airfields.

No enemy air offensive lias been .reported for Hie past 24 hours. Allied land patrols are known to be bunting down small bands of enemy , refugees in the sago swamps between Stinnnanda and Gona. The booty captured recently, it is revealed, included ti powerful radio transmitter which was in tierfeet condition, its range enabling messages to be sent, direct to Tokio. Tlie transmitter was taken by tlie Australian troops who penetrated through chest-deep swantps and thick jungle in the surprise move which pined tlie way for (he collapse of Sanananda. All along the coast Allied patrols have found substantial enemy food supplies, but most of the dumps were out of reach of the beleaguered g.-l rrison.