AIR ATTACK ON RABAUL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 18, 16 October 1943, Page 5

AIR ATTACK ON RABAUL

General MacArthur’s Plan WORKED ON IT 16 HOURS DAILY FOR WEEKS

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) ' (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 15. General MacArthur worked for 16 hours a day for weeks making .preparations for Tuesday’s record Allied air attack on Rabaul. Three days before the raid General MacArthur took war correspondents into his confidence.. He explained how the largest force of bombers and fighters ever assembled in the Southwest Pacific had been secretly . mustered for an attempt to knock out Rabaul from the air, and how even planes near the pensioned class had been patched up to augment the available strength for the job. It is revealed that hundreds of our aircraft took off- from airfields on the New Guinea mainland and on Kiriwina and Woodlark Islands (in the Trobriands), both of which were occupied by the Allied forces last June. The construction of air bases 200 miles nearer New Britain permitted the employment of fighter cover for our bombers. This was provided, by Beaufighters and Lightnings, which were used in the greatest numbers ever seen in Pacific skies.

The devastating raid lasted two hours and our planes brought back many graphic photographs indicating the . extent of the damage. The attack against Rabaul had been delayed until reconnaissance indicated that Japanese air and shipping concentrations were at their peak. However, the damage to installations, even more than the actual plane and ship losses, will disrupt Rabaul as an important base. The success of the raid must give impetus to the Allied thrusts in the South and 'Southwest Pacific. The whole of Japan’s 750-mile 'Southern Pacific front, extending from the Buin-Faisi area in the Solomons to Wewak in New Guinea, has been endangered. Main Task To Get Bases.

Anticipating further Allied moves in the Pacific, the .Sydney “Morning Herald” says in an editorial that General MacArthur’s blow at Rabaul vividly illustrates what he has called “the application of offensive power in swift massive strikes.” Throughout the Pacific the Japanese have had to yield the initiative to the Allies whose main task henceforth is to gain bases from which their superior sea and air power can be brought to bear against Japan's inner defences. Rabaul has now been raided 122 times since General MacArthur established the South West Pacific, command. Up to the end of July the Allies had dropped approximately 1000 tons of bombs on Rabaul this year. The previous heaviest tonnages were 00 tons on January 10 last year, 54 tons on March 24 this year when 250 enemy aircraft were hit on the ground. The heaviest shipping losses to the Japanese at Rabaul were 82,000 tons destroyed and 22,000. tons seriously damaged in raids extending over three consecutive days in October, 1942. The latest attack when the bomb load dropped was 350 tons exceeded iby 30 tons the previous Pacific record established in the Wake Island raid earlier this month.

MacArthur’s Bombers Take Heavy Toll (Received Oclober 15, 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 15. After Tuesday's record air attack on Rabaul the weather in that area became unfavourable for flying, and has since restricted air operations. Tuesday's strike was carried out m bad weather, which later worsened. . General MacArthur's communique today reveals that following Sunday’s heavy raid on Kahili aerodrome, on Bougainville Island, more than 100 Allied planes from the South Pacific Command again struck at Kahili on Monday. A further great amount of damage was done, and 12 Japanese planes attempting interception were shot down. These attacks against Kahili helped to pin down the possible air reinforcements for Rabaul. General MacArthur's bombers continue to take heavy toll of enemy shipping. In the Banda Sea on 'Wednesday Liberators bombed and damaged a mediumsized transport, while Catalinas strafed and damaged a small schooner near Sumba Island.. At Koepang on Tuesday night Hudsons damaged a 100-ton ship in the harbour, and off tile northeast coast of Timor Catalinas left an SOO-ton merchantman smoking after a strafing attack. North of New Britain five enemy cargo ships were attacked by Catalinas on Wednesday. At Matcbi'l Bay, near Buka, off the northern tip of Bougainville Island, Mitchells attacked two Japanese cargo ships. Both were hit so badly that it is believed they were left in a sinking