DESTRUCTION OF AMMUNITION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 5, 1 October 1943, Page 5

DESTRUCTION OF AMMUNITION

Enemy’s Main New Guinea Dump MANY OTHER FIRES (Bv Telegraph.—l’rese Assu. —Copyright.) (Received September 30, 10.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 30. The main ammunition storage depot at the Japanese base at Wewak, on the north coast of New Guinea, was destroyed on Tuesday in a devastating raid by Liberator bombers. The explosion was tlie biggest seen by the air force in the South-west Pacific. The depot is believed to have been the principal source of supply tor Hie enemy’s entire operations in New Guinea. m The Japanese put up a screen of 40 fighters, eight of which were shot down and three others probably destroyed. Allied aircraft sustained damage, but all returned to their base. Today’s communique from General MacArthur, giving 'details of the raid, says:—“Our escorted heavy bombers continued the attack to deny the enemy the use of air bases by dropping 145 tons of explosives on the main supply dumps and installations in the Wewak area. His principal ammunition storage depot halfway toward the east end of Wewak Peninsula was destroyed in a terrific explosion which obscured the entire peninsula. Flames were visible 60 miles away. A great fuel dump near Mission Point was destroyed, and eight large fires were started in supply dump areas near Boram. Numerous other blazes dotted Wewak Peninsula.”