ATTACK ON RABAUL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 February 1942, Page 3

ATTACK ON RABAUL

EFFECTIVE BLOW STRUCK BY AUSTRALIANS ENEMY CAUGHT OFF GUARD. INQUIRY INTO DARWIN RAIDS. CANBERRA, February 24. Australian bombers caught the Japanese off their guard when raiding enemy shipping in Rabaul harbour yesterday. Several direct hits were scored on both ships and enemy-controlled aerodromes. The attacks seemed to take the Japanese by surprise, said ' the Air Minister, Mr Drakeford, today, as the enemy fighters made no attempt to intercept the Australians till the raid was about to end. One Japanese fighter was shot down and two others probably destroyed. One Australian failed to return. Three other airmen were wounded.

The Minister of the Army, Mr Forde, announced that a full inquiry was being held into the Darwin raids in order to ascertain the enemy methods employed and whether the defensive action taken against them could be made more effective. Inquiry would also be made whether there was any suspicion of subversive elements among the coloured population calculated to be of assistance to the Japanese. LANDINGS ON TIMOR APPRECIATION OF BRITISH GOOD FAITH. LONDON, February 23. Commenting on the Japanese landing on Timor’ and Dr. Salazar’s speech of protest, the Lisbon newspaper “Journal Do Comercio” says: “Dr. Salazar, in paying homage to the good faith and goodwill shown by toe British Government in the matter of Timor has drawn even closer the friendship between Portugal and Britain. Animated by the noble example furnished by Britain, we can be calmly confident that the new incident will be solved in a just and peaceful fashion.”