JAPANESE SHIPS ATTACKED

Southland Times, Issue 24879, 20 October 1942, Page 5

JAPANESE SHIPS ATTACKED

Three Cruisers Hit (Special Australian Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 11.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 19. Australian land-based Flying Fortresses have made four separate raids on a powerful concentration of Japanese warships and transports off Bougainville Island, in the north-west Solomons. Three Japanese cruisers are believed to have been hit with 10001 b bombs, a merchantman was set on fire and seven flying boats were destroyed or damaged. A seaplane tender and cargo vessels were attacked with unknown results. The raids, which were made by probably the largest force of bombers sent from General Douglas MacArthur’s command to help the American defenders in the Solomons, began early on Sunday morning and lasted through several hours of darkness. The last flight saw the Japanese vessels burning fiercely. Not a sngle Allied plane was lost. Japanese Zero night-fighters attempted to intercept the third flight of Flying Fortresses, but their attack was weak and easily beaten off. The first formation of Flying Fortresses to fly over the target area near Buin dropped flares which illuminated Japanese shipping at anchor in a stretch of water used by the enemy for some time as a naval dispersal area. In this initial instalment 22 tons of bombs were dropped among the shipping and the planes then proceeded to bomb and strafe the airfield which the Japanese are using for operations against Guadalcanar. FLYING-BOATS HIT The second attack, which is believed to have hit the three Japanese cruisers, was helped by the light from the burning ships. The third group bombed a large seaplane tender and cargo vessels, while the final flight came in at a low altitude and straffed a cargo vessel, setting it ablaze. They I then destroyed or damaged a number | of large flying boats with incendiaries, j This was the sixth series of attacks made by Australian-based planes against Buin in the past fortnight. It was the nineteenth attack made in that period against the three main bases from which Japanese bombers could operate against the American positions in the Solomons. Rabaul has been raided six times with nearly 200 tons of bombs and Buka seven times. In addition Japanese warships and transport concentrations in the Buin-Faisi area have been attacked several times earlier this month by Beaufort torpedo bombers, as well as other land-based bombers and carrier aircraft. ACTIVITY AT GUADALCANAR Great activity by both sides in the Guadalcanar area is reported in a United States Navy Department communique, which says: “The Japanese are continuing to bomb our airfield and shore, positions on Guadalcanar and it is believed that enemy troops and equipment are being disposed for a strong assault against the Henderson airfield. There have been no reports of enemy landings on Guadalcanar since Thursday, but heavy concentrations of enemy ships are still reported off the Buin-Shortland area. “On Friday Flying Fortresses and Marine Corps aircraft repeatedly attacked enemy troops and equipment assembled in force in the north-west part of Guadalcanar. Early on Saturday morning 14 enemy bombers escorted by eight fighters attacked our airfield and shore positions. Our fighters report the destruction of all the bombers and two fighters. In the afternoon another group

of about 15 enemy bombers and a num- I ber of fighters carried out a second raid 1 on our positions. One enemy bomber was probably destroyed and one of our planes is missing.”