ANDAMANS RAID

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 26 June 1944, Page 5

ANDAMANS RAID

Successful British Naval Stroke JAPANESE SURPRISED (British Official Wireless.) (Received June 25, 7.5 p.m.) RUGBY, June 23. A special South-east Asia headquarters communique says that Allied naval units of the Eastern Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Power, on Wednesday morning made a strike against Port Blair, principal port of the Andaman Islands. Considerable damage was done to military installations, including a power-house, sawmills, workshops, and a motor-tor-pedoboat and seaplane base, where an oil fire was started. Two enemy aircraft were set on fire on Port Blair airfield. One raider station -was completely destroyed and a second heavily damaged. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire only one of the British planes failed to return. The enemy once again seemed to have been completely surprised. No attempt was made to attack the warships, and no enemy fighters were encountered. • The Associated Press correspondent with the fleet says that the attack was carried out by Barracuda torpedo-bomb-ers* supported by Corsair fighters of the fleet, and was entirely successful. The Allied warships crossed the Bay of Bengal to within a few miles of the target without any suspicion of their intentions by the enemy. The island at the entrance to the harbour was visited and the barracks where the commander of the Japanese force has his beadquarters was bombed.

The Eastern Fleet proved its domination of the Eastern Indian Ocean in its 10-minute raid against Port Blair, says Reuter’s correspondent aboard the flagship. He adds that carrier-borne bombers and fighters carrying out the attack were British, but the escort consisted of Allied warships, including ships of. the line, cruisers, and destroyers. The pilots included a number of New Zealand and Canadian officers. Vice-Admiral Power signalled after the strike: “A successful operation carried out with precision. Well done. Thank you.” Admiral Sir James Somerville, the Commander-in-Chief, signalled : “I congratulate you and all concerned, specially the air crews, on the very successful outcome of the operation.” Reuter says that, like the Eastern Fleet’s previous strikes against Sabang and Surabaya, this one was carried out simultaneously 'with operations by Admiral C. W. Nimitz’s Pacific Fleet. It is a tribute to the skill of the Fleet Air Arm that the attack was so successful, because the conditions were cloudy with local rainstorms.

Tokio official radio says that 35 enemy bombers and fighters raided Port Blair on Wednesday morning. The radio claims that six raiders were shot down and four damaged.

dozen battleships, aud over 100 transports," he said. “If the enemy succeeds in building a powerful air base at Saipan, the influence on our sea aud air supremacy in the western Pacific will be extremely great. “If the enemy uses large type bombers the Japanese homeland and the Philippines will be within the enemy bombing sphere. The Saipan operation is an advance into our inner line. We must'exert our efforts for the destruction of the enemy in future by mobilizing the entire strength of our laud, sea aud air forces in this area.” SUPPORT FOR TASK FORCE MacArthur’s Aircraft (Received une 25, 9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 25. Support for the American Task Force 58 in its Central Pacific strikes is still being given by land-based aircraft of General MacArthur’s command. Today’s South-west Pacific communique reports the destruction of or severe damage to 22 grounded Japanese planes hit by Liberators which raided Yap in the Ciirolines. Other Liberators attacked, Ulithi Island, 90 miles north-east of Yap, and Sorol Island, 160 miles south-east of Yap, destroying piers and starting fires. Woleai and Truk were also bombed; Japanese shipping suffered in Allied air raids over the western Dutch New Guinea area. At Sorong a 3000-ton freighter-transport, five coastal vessels and three barges were sunk or seriously damaged, while in the Watoebela Islands at Bandaha a 1500-ton freighter and two coastal vessels were set on fire by strafing. As well as the island’s three strategic airfields, the American invasion troops now hold nearly two-thirds _of Biak Island, Geelvink Bay. An additional 20,> of the enemy garrison have been killed in patrol clashes. Remnants of the.garrison who are believed to be trying to escape to the New Guinea mainland are being hunted down.