Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1942. A GOOD BEGINNING.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1942. A GOOD BEGINNING.

JX itself and in the prospect it opens of greater things to follow, what has been described as the first blow of General MacArthur’s offensive to liberate the Philippines is most heartening and of good promise. Many details of the story of the smashing raids made on enemy-occupied bases at Manila and elsewhere in the Philippines by a force of 14 United States Flying Fortresses and medium bombers, commanded by Brigadier-Genera I Royce, of necessity are withheld for the time being. The facts disclosed, however; are highly impressive.

Operating from bases in Australia, the American bombers made a journey, out and back, of well over 4,000 miles. In their attacks in the Philippines they sank at least four and probably five enemy ships. Five enemy planes, including a bomber and a seaplane, were destroyed and a number of others were damaged. In addition hangars at Nichols Field, near Manila, were destroyed and damage was done to aerodrome runways, dock's and warehouses. All this and more was accomplished at the cost of one American plane, the crew of which was saved. The last-mentioned circumstance and the fact that a number of airmen and others were, picked up and brought back from, the Philippines are of particular interest as indicating that some of the raiding aircraft, in the course of their attacks, landed and took off again. The circumstances in which this long-distance air offensive was carried out, as well as its important immediate results, cannot but be extremely disturbing and discouraging to the Japanese. With the well-sustained and successful attacks that are being made at shorter range, by Australian and American planes, on enemy bases in the New Guinea area —attacks in which more than sixty Japanese planes have been destroyed or made unserviceable in the last 23 days and an appreciable toll has been taken also of enemy shipping-—the long-distance attacks on the Philippines demonstrate how formidably Japan is threatened in her Pacific and other operations by offensive action from Australia. There is already something tangible to be set against the losses the Adies have suffered in the Malaya, the East Indies and the Indian Ocean and the present threatening aspect of the land campaign in Burma.