COSTLY DEFEAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1942, Page 3

COSTLY DEFEAT

SUFFERED 'BY JAPANESE AIRCRAFT ATTACK ON AMERICAN WARSHIPS. SIXTEEN BOMBERS OUT OF 18 DESTROYED. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 3. A Navy Department communique announced that United States warships and aircraft shot down 16 Japanese bombers in the course of recent operations to the west of the Gilbert Islands, losing only two of their own aircraft. A task force of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of an aircraft-carrier, cruisers, and destroyers was attacked in two waves by 18 bombers operating in two groups of nine each. In spite of the severity of the Japanese attacks, the United States warships were undamaged. One American fighter pilot shot down six of the bombers single-hand-ed. “The attacks occurred late in the afternoon and were timed half an hour apart,” the communique states. “The first Japanese formation was closely and vigorously engaged by our carrier’s fighter planes, and also by antiaicraft fire from the ships of the task force. “Only three enemy planes of this formation reached their bombing-re-lease point over the aircraft-carrier, which avoided all bomb hits by splitsecond maneouvring. “The leading bomber of the group attempted to make a crash landing on the carrier’s deck, but it was shot down by,heavy close-range anti-aircraft fire when barely 100 yards from its objective. “In the second attack only five bombers reached the bomb-release point. In this instance the salvo of bombs was closer to the carrier than in the first attack, but again no hits were obtained. “One of our pilots has been recovered.” United States warships and aircraft several weeks ago made a powerful bombardment attack in this area, shelling Japanese-occupied Makin Island in the Gilberts, and also Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands, to the north.