AIRFIELD AT CAPE HOSKINS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 190, 10 May 1944, Page 5

AIRFIELD AT CAPE HOSKINS

Occupied By Americans NO RESISTANCE BY JAPANESE (By Telegraph.—Press Assn —Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 9. American, troops yesterday occupied the airfield at Cape (Hoskins, on the northern coast of New Britain. They encountered no Japanese, but suffered a few casualties from . booby traps. Cape Hoskins was once an important enemy air staging base, blit was put out of action by relentless Allied bombings when invasion moves were made at Arawe, Cape Gloucester, early this ye Cape Hoskins airfield is within 150 miles of 'Rabaul, Where recent reconnaissance photographs reveal widespread damage. An official estimate lists Rabaul township and adjoiinng installations as 80 to 85 per cent, destroyed; Lakunai airfield and installations, 8a per cent, destroyed; Tobera, 80 per cent.; Vunakanua and Rapopo, aO per Ce Despite the concentrated bombings, the Japanese for many weeks continued to repair damaged runways and rebuild installations, but lately their .persistence has weakened and the repair of strips slipped into an irregular routine. Considerably more than 10,000 tons of . bombs have been' dropped on the ten miles square defence area at Rabaul during the past seven months. In. this locality are 40,000 beleaguered troops, remnants of Japan’s Seventeenth Army. The sustained air offensive against Rabaul began on December 17. Before this the greatest strike against the enemy strength there was October 12 last, when 177 planes and 119 ships, including destroyers, were destroyed at the base within 24 hours. By February 18 Allied' warships had been able to shell Rabaul without fear of enemy air interference. The last enemy fighter opposition encountered over the base was three months ago. West of Hollandia. Increasing Japanese opposition to Allied air blows west of Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, has necessitated the provision of fighter escort for Liberators striking at enemy bases in the Schouten Islands, Geelvink Bay. Allied fighters are believed to come from recently captured airfields at Hollandia. Of 12 Zeros which attempted interception on Sunday, nine were shot down loss to our planes. Liberators aver the same area on Saturday encountered 17 enemy fighters, shooting down one. The heaviest air attacks reported by General MacArthur’s communique today were on the Wakde-Sarmi area, about 100 miles west of Hollandia, which was hit by more than 100 Allied planes on Sunday. Mitchell and Liberator bombers dropped 295 tons of explosives. Airfields, bivouac and supply areas were • heavily damaged, and smoke from large fires covered the target. American casualties since the landing on Hollandia have been 28 killed in action or died of wounds and 95 wounded. About 800 enemy dead have now been counted in the area, while more Than 150 Japanese have been taken prisoner. Allied planes continue to blast Japanese trapped in the Wewak-Hansa Bay sector of British New Guinea, and patrol torpedo-boats are adding to the enemy’s troubles with damaging strikes. At. Wewak on Friday nighti they destroyed five barges and strafed trucks on the coastal road. Solomons-based Liberators bombed Woleai in the Carolines on Saturday morning, destroying two grounded aircraft. Liberators on Friday located an enemy convoy of five small vessels 175 miles west of Truk, and sank three. The ships were from 100 to 500 tons.