Heavy Allied Air Attack

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 205, 28 August 1942, Page 5

Heavy Allied Air Attack

(By Telegraph-—Press Assn.-—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) Received Friday, 1 a.m. SYDNEY, Aug. 27. Japanese forces have landed at Milne Bay, on the south-east tip of New Guinea, General Mac Arthur’s headquarters announced. Our forces anticipated the movement and are in contact with tlie enemy. The landing was made with heavy losses in the face of fierce attacks by Flying Fortresses, medium bombers and Kittyhawks. Extremely bad weather probably assisted the enemy landings by hampering th. Allied air attacks, but the convoy has since taken a relentless hammering. Our planes have sunk a transport, lieavly damaged and probably sunk a cruiser and damaged a destroyer. Six landing badges nave also been destroyed and fires start ed among supplies ashore. Our air attacks are reported to be con Unuing, despite the adverse weather, and they are being pressed home from low altitudes.

Milne Bay, near Samari, is 220 miles east of Port Moresby and 420 miles to the closest point on the Australian mainland. The convoy from which the enemy landed was attacked by our fighter-bombers neax the Trobriand Islands on Tuesday, when a gun-boat was sunk and two transports strafed.

A statement that the convoy was small Is believed to indicate that the enemy troops landed were not In large numbers. Milne Bay offers sheltered waters and a • move by tne enemy in this direction has ueen anticipated since the Buna landing. The bay is about ten miles wide across me entrance and 20 miles deep. The foreshores are flat and fringed with mangroves. There are no big settlements, but the area is one of tne most cultivated in New Guinea, several crocodile-infested creeks run into the bay.

The enemy landings were made without air support. Some observers suggest that this lack of air support was connected with the spectacular Alued coups against grounded Japanese fighters at Buna, Thirteen planes were destroyed in raids on Tuesday, and on Wednesday six more were added, making a total of 19 in two days. The fact that the Japanese were caught offguard on two successive days supports the contention expressed by a headquarters’ spokesman that it will be difficult for the enemy to establish an air base in this sector of Papua in the face of our air opposition. Our aircraft, flying across the Owen Stanley range, give little warning of their approach to the Japanese. Conversely our ground forces on the northern side of the ranges are able to give adequate warning to Port Moresby when enemy aircraft are about to make attacks.