ATTACK PRESSED HOME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1942, Page 3

ATTACK PRESSED HOME

SEVERAL ENEMY SHIPS SUNK OR DAMAGED Federal Air Minister Gives Details JAPANESE DAYLIGHT RAID ON PORT MORESBY SLIGHT DAMAGE & NO CASUALTIES LONDON, March 11. Australian planes are making a fierce and continuous onslaught on the enemy invasion fleet off the coast of New Guinea, where the Japanese are trying to consolidate the three landings they have made on the island. Yesterday Australian aircraft, overcoming terrific anti-aircraft gunfire from ships stationed offshore, made a daring low-level attack on a shipping concentration. One pilot, after dropping all his bombs, dived and machine-gunned his objective at almost point-blank range. Another sent 400 rounds into a Japanese four-engine flying boat, which caught fire and was destroyed. One transport was sunk, and others probably damaged, some of them seriously. Japanese planes attempting to intercept our aircraft were driven off. The Australian Air Minister (Mr Drakeford) has given more details of yesterday’s smashing attacks by the Australian Air Force on enemy ships at Salamaua. Four enemy ships, the Minister stated, were left burning. Two were sunk and one was beached, with her stern awash. There is an unconfirmed report that Australian planes are still attacking enemy ships at Salamaua. Today twelve Japanese heavy bombers carried out a daylight raid on Port Moresby, for the third day in succession. They concentrated on military targets but the damage was negligible and there were no casualties. An observer reports another Japanese raid on Port Moresby. Only slight damage was done and there were no casualties. Major-General Bennett has been appointed Director of Military Training in Australia. EAST INDIES CAMPAIGN Dr. Van Mook, Lieutenant Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies, will leave Australia shortly to visit Washington and London. Dr. Van Mook said the Dutch commanders in Java had been told to go on fighting and he thought they would do so. Dutch forces are still fighting in Sumatra. Dr. Van Mook said it would take the Japanese six months to get the oil wells going again. Many of the Dutch naval forces, he said, had escaped from Java and so had a large number of airmen.