BADLY BEATEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 April 1942, Page 3

BADLY BEATEN

JAPANESE OVER DARWIN EIGHTEEN PLANES LOST IN TWO DAYS. SUCCESSFUL ALLIED ATTACKS ON TRANSPORTS. LONDON, April 28. ■ The daring and skill of Allied airmen defending the North Australia front appears in the fact that the Japanese have lost 18 planes in two days’ fighting over Darwin. On Saturday the enemy lost 11 planes and yesterday another seven —three bombers and four fighters.

The engagement over Darwin wax the longest and fiercest fought in this area. Four groups of bombers with the fighters guarding their flanks and tails made the attack. Their objective was an aerodrome. Allied lighters pounced from the clouds, and fierce dogfights developed. The lighting lasted so long that observers consider it is doubtful whether the Japanese planes had enough petrol left to reach their base. Allied planes yesterday attacked enemy shipping off the north-west coast of New Ireland, and sank a transport. Other Japanese transports were successfully attacked off Faisi. near the enemy-occupied Bougainville, in the Solomon Islands.

MAJOR EFFORT MAY BE CONTEMPLATED BY ENEMY. SOME SIGNS OF PREPARATION. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 27. It is reported from an advanced Allied base that an outstanding feature of the aerial warfare over Port Moresby, which has become intensified during the last few days is the increasing fighter support provided for the Japanese bombers, apparently in the hope of crushing the Allied fighter opposition preparatory to an all-out attack.

This seems to .indicate, says a correspondent in Melbourne, that Japanese air and ground reinforcements have arrived by sea at the advanced bases, notably Rabaul, where transports were recently observed. It is possible that during the period of this reinforcement the Japanese have been conserving their aircraft strength in preparation for a major operation, which may be launched shortly.