LONG ROUND TRIP

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 218, 10 June 1943, Page 5

LONG ROUND TRIP

Allied Raid In Dutch East Indies (Received June 9, 11.15 ip.m.) SYDNEY, June 9. Flying more than 1400 miles on the round trip, a small force of General MacArthur’s Liberators yesterday attacked Japanese shipping at Waingapu, on Sumba Island, in the Netherlands East Indies. They scored two damaging near-misses with 5001 b bombs against a 5000-ton cargo vessel. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered from ships in the harbour and from shore batteries. ( Waingapu may have been the base from which Japanese aircraft last month made two raids on Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. It has a small airfield and its sheltered harbour waters make it suitable for a seaplane base. Over the Bismarck Sea area, a Liberator on reconnaissance sighted and attacked a small enemy convoy 35 miles from Kavieug. INo hits were reported. The convoy, comprising four merchantmen of between 4000 and 5000" tons with a gunboat escort, was probably bound for Rabaul. There is a steady passage of enemy vessels between Kavieng and Rabaul. With the maintained improvement in weather conditions throughout the Southwest Pacific area yesterday, Allied aircraft were over eight enemy bases. Kaimana and Babo. in Dutch New Guinea, Dilli and Koepang, in Timor, and Cape Gloucester, in New Britain, were all bombed. The heaviest attack was made on Babo, where a night raid on the aerodrome and supply dump area caused explosions which rocked our planes at 6000 ft. » In support of the Australian troops fighting round jftubo, Beaufigllters strafed buildings and supply trails at Komiatum.

HEAVY ENEMY LOSS

Air Fight Near Russells

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 8.

The United States Navy Department states that from 40 to 50 Japanese Zero fighters and torpedo-bombers were attacked by United States fighters yesterday morning in the vicinity of the Russell Islands, which the Americans occupied recently in the Solomons area. Nineteen Zeros were shot down and six were damaged. The Americans lost seven planes, but three pilots were saved.