SAVAGE BOMBING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 20, 19 October 1943, Page 5

SAVAGE BOMBING

N.Z. And U.S. Defences In Solomons COMRADES IN ARMS (UlUcial War Correspondent, N.Z.B.JT.) VELLA LAVELLA, October 4.

New Zealand and American antiaircraft gunners fought side by side on the beaches of Vella Lavella this week in staving off a savage ■bombing atttack by It) Japanese dive-bombers, escorted by 15 Zeros, it was the first, time in the Pacific war that New Zealanders and Americans attached to ground forces have been shoulder to shoulder in action, and the sterling effort put up in the action itself and in the ensuing rescue work was ful evidence of toe mutual respect that has developed among the Allied troops here in the short time since the New Zealanders arrived. The attack, which was directed at shipping recently arrived on the beach was short but violent. We suffered casualties when a bomb scored a direct hit on one ship, and many men engaged in unloading the cargo narrowly escaped death or injury. Americans Appreciated. "Several of us were below deck near the bridge when the bomb struck,” said one New Zealander. "We were thrown down by the blast but picked ourselves up and I climbed a hatch to the uppe. deck, where 1 found a wounded man lying across the opening. An American orderly helped me to apply a dressing to his wound. "The Americans were splendid, lliougn many of their own men were injured, they gave every assistance to the New Zealanders and were regardless ot thenown safety iu carrying the wounded to the comparative safety of the beach. Lt was a common battle to save all the injured, and you can take it from me that these United States men are rattling good fellows.” , , ~ ' A New Zealander who had been unloading a truck in the hold had gone to the beach for a brief spell. Had 1 stayed working on the truck I would not be here now,” he said. He saw three dive-bombers come hurtling out of the sun and peeling off to the attack, lhe New Zealand crew of a gnu were all casualties. They bad fought their gun to the last. Failed to Explode. On another ship a New Zealand gnu crew had an amazing escape. 1 hey hud barely time to engage an approaching bomber when a bomb crashed 1- inches from Lhe gun wheel, tore a J a »» l -< 1 ‘ w ' l ' in the steel decking, and faded to i.xplodge. Less than a second later a second bomb came at them. It grazed the railin, of the ship and exploded in the water, knocking lhe New Zealanders to the deck with a blast that shook the ship and covering the men with spray and score iing yellow fumes. . . The gun crew was in action immediately and bad the intense sattstactiou of getting three more rounds at he bomber as it* came out ot a dive, ana oi seeing it Uy off smoking. The Japanese crashed in the hills inland “There were about eight bombers m the sky at the time of the attack on us,” a'gunner said. “Some came at us, and the first to peel oft got us. It is a miracle we are still alive. . lhe combined efforts of the anti-aircratt guns and Allied fighter aircraft that morning brought down probably eight enemy machines.