ZERO FIGHTER

Southland Times, Issue 24868, 7 October 1942, Page 5

ZERO FIGHTER

DETAILS KNOWN TO AUSTRALIANS (Rec. 10.50 p.m.) CANBERRA, Oct. 6. Australian aircraft engineers know every constructional detail of Japans Zero fighter. Disclosing that experts have dismantled Zeros piece by piece and measured and tested every part, the Minister of Aircraft Production, Senator Donald Cameron, declared his confidence that Australia could manufacture a better fighter. Senator Cameron said the Zero had a maximum speed of about 315 miles an hour under normal flying at 10,000 feet and a ceiling of 36,000 feet. At 160 miles an hour its range was 1600 miles. He was confident, said the Minister, that the time was approaching when Allied planes would drive them from the skies and that Australian aircraft would play an important role in their destruction. Referring to a Washington suggestion that Australia might be forced from her own resources to fulfil the need for high altitude fighters to meet the Zeros, Senator Cameron expressed the belief that given the necessary materials Australian aircraft engineers could'produce such a plane. Australia’s aircraft industry had achieved near miracles in the two and a-half years of its existence. Australian-made Beaufort torpedo machines were in some respects superior to the British design- An outstanding example of the resource and adaptability of Australian engineers was the “almost over-night” conversion of these planes to carry American torpedoes. U.S. AIR OPERATIONS Solomons And Aleutians (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 6. The destruction of 15 Japanese planes in the Solomon and Aleutian Islands is announced by Washington. . Giving details of widespread air operations, the Navy Department states that 110 Japanese machines were shot down I in tire Solomon Islands, and a destroyer was damaged by a bomb. Attacks were carried out on Japanese shore bases. Under cover of darkness small Japanese forces succeeded in making a landing on Guadalcanal but the United States forces are holding their positions., From the new bases in the Aleutian Islands United States planes are carrying out daily raids on Kiska. During one raid five Japanese seaplanes were shot down. Two transports previously damaged were found to be beached. Enemy shore installations at Rekata Bay were also bombed and strafed. Two enemy seaplanes were destroyed .. and fires were observed. In another raid our dive-bombers set fire to munition dumps and damaged two enemy aircraft. Flying Fortresses set fire to a small boat off the Greenwich Islands, at the south-east end of Malaita Island, while our dive-bombers continued their attacks on enemy troop concentrations and supply dumps on Guadalcanal On Friday the Japanese again attacked i Guadalcanar with a small group of I bombers heavily escorted by fighters. Our interceptors shot down four enemy fighters. No bombs were dropped. Army bombers operating from the Andreanof Group are making almost daily raids Kiska. The weather favoured these operations, and the enemy has been under continual fire. On Thursday and Friday many demolition and incendiary bomb hits were scored on the camp area and seaplane hangar. Five enemy seaplanes were shot down during the raid on Friday. Although no hits were dbserved on the three cargo ships at present at Kiska subsequent photographic reconnaissance revealed that two damaged by bombs had been beached. JAPAN’S SHIPPING LOSSES Shortage Of Tonnage LONDON, October 5. A hint that Japan is feeling the pinch of merchant shipping losses is contained in a dispatch from Berlin that “owing to a temporary shortage of tonnage in Japan’s newly acquired territories it is necessaiy for Sumatra, Malaya, Borneo and other areas to be largely self-suf-ficient.” A warning against the erroneous idea that the Greater East Asia war would prove comparatively easy has been given by the President of Tokyo University, Mr Kunihiko Okura, in a speech in Tokyo. “Contrary to expectations Japan’s enemies seem to be fighting back and regaining their footing, he says. “They are fighting with all their hearts. Therefore, if the Japanese people do not face the situation with a new and firm determination, they will be confronted with a terrible end. “Japan has lost many brave and loyal soldiers in the last five years. The people must not regard the war with the easy feeling that the enemy is just the Chinese army or that victory over the United Nations is a sure thing because they hear of victories day after day. China is not the old China. In addition America has really stood up and is fighting with thj mobilization of her own vast resources.”