HEAVILY RAIDED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 56, 4 September 1944, Page 1

HEAVILY RAIDED

PHILIPPINES TARGETS

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 3. The first large-scale Allied bombing raid on Japanese targets in the Philippines since early in 1942 was ; made on Friday. Liberators of General S Mac Arthur's South-west Pacific Command pounded airfields round Davao, in Mindanao, with more than 100 tons of fragmentation bombs. They destroyed 38 enemy aircraft and left large fires burning among the airfield installations. According to Tokio radio, 40 Liberators made the attack. General MacArthur's communique today says that 26 Japanese fighters and 11 bombers were destroyed on the ground,, while one of nine interceptors was shot down in air combat. Two Liberators were lost to anti-aircraft fire. This significant attack on the Japanese air defences in the most southerly of the Philippine islands was linked with another record Southwest Pacific strike by Liberators against Palau, in the western Carolines, an enemy bastion guarding .the eastern approach to the 'Philippines. Nearly 140 tons of bombs hit' the airfield defences and waterfront installations, causing explosions and fires visible for 75 miles. No Japanese fighters were encountered over Palau but one Liberator was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. The mounting raids made recently I on Palau. by General Mac Arthur's bombers obviously fit closely into the: strategy of the promised offensive! against the Philippines. FREIGHTERS ATTACKED. j The weekend communiques also report the probable destruction in the Moluccas area of eight freighters and 45 barges. United States Navy Catalinas made attacks at night on Japanese ships at Manado, in the Celebes and near Amboina. All the freighters! averaging about 1000 tons, are- believed to be a total loss. Meanwhile in Dutch New Guinea Allied Kittyhawks are blasting small ships and assembly areas on the southern coast of Vogelkop Peninsula in order to smash evacuation attempts by the Japanese Second Army. The enemy garrison at Manokwari, numbering 15,000, is trying to cross the peninsula to McCluer Gulf, where it has accumulated small craft.' In these it hopes to escape to the Kei and Tenimber islands; but ' persistent Allied air attacks are thwarting the plan. . . . .