WEWAK POUNDED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 54, 1 September 1943, Page 5

WEWAK POUNDED

JAP PLANES SMASHED'

AIR BATTLE RENEWED

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, August 31.

Wewak, on the north New Guinea coast, has had another heavy pounding from General Mac Arthur's bombers. Enemy aircraft concentrations in the area have again been smashed, 37 planes being destroyed on the ground or in the air, 12 probably destroyed, and 17 damaged. Wewak ranks next to Rabaul, New Britain, as the most important enemy base in the Southwest Pacific theatre.

One of the biggest air battles of the New Guinea campaign marked the newest Allied raid on Wewak. At least 60 enemy fighters intercepted the attacking force, but received a rough handling from our escorting fighters, the great majority of them being either

shot down or so seriously damaged that they were unable to continue the combat.

Details of the engagement are given in General Mac Arthur's latest communique, - which says: "Our escorted heavy bombers attacked aerodromes at Wewak and Boram in force, placing 114 tons of explosives on aircraft revetment and dispersal areas. At least 12 planes caught on the ground were destroyed.

"Many fires and explosions.occurred in both the target areas. Interception by at least 60 fighters resulted in a fierce air combat in which the enemy was badly defeated. Twenty-five of his planes were destroyed, another 12 probably destroyed, and 17 .damaged. Our losses were light." OTHER AERIAL BLOWS. General .Mac Arthur's communique today reports other heavy Allied aerial blows on New Guinea objectives. About 180 miles east of Wewak the important enemy shipping supply base of Madang took a solid hammering when escorted medium bombers dropped 55 tons of bombs on the Alexishafen and Bogadjim areas. Detailing the results of these attacks, the communique says: "A group of 15 barges at Admosin Island was hit and many were destroyed. Six barges at Bostram Bay were sunk, and buildings on. Sek Island were heavily damaged. Many fires were started in fuel and supply dumps at Alexishafen airfield, Amron Mission, and Bogadjim. There was no interception.". Further disrupting the passage of enemy supplies on the- New BritainNew Guinea sector, our attack planes and fighters made a sweep along the south coast of New Britain, bombing jetty and dump areas at Gasmata and destroying two barges at Cape Beech ey. A Catalina, on a night patrol near. Cape St. George, at the southern extremity of New Ireland, scored a direct hit with a 5001b bomb on a Japanese cruiser. In the Vitiaz Strait, between New Britain and New Guinea, a small enemy cargo ship was attacked and damaged. JAPANESE REPULSED. In land fighting at Salamaus Japanese counter-attacks against the Australian forces on the Kila Ridge have been repulsed with heavy enemy losses. Allied aircraft, have been active in more remote parts of the South-west Pacific area. Admiral Halsey's fighters strafed Kahili aerodrome, in Bougainville Island, destroying eight enemy planes on the ground. Other Allied fighters attacked the Vila River mouth on Kulambangra Island and-destroyed three Japanese barges, while four others were destroyed in attacks on Santa Isabel Island.

More than 17 tons of explosives were dropped in a raid on Babo, Dutch New Guinea, causing extensive damage to buildings and starting fires among fuel and supply dumps. One enemy plane was destroyed on the- ground.