SMASHING DEFEAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 August 1942, Page 3

SMASHING DEFEAT

SUFFERED BY JAPANESE IN RAID ON DARWIN THIRTEEN ENEMY PLANES SHOT DOWN. NO ALLIED MACHINES LOST. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, August 24. General MacArthur’s fighter pilots have scored a smashing victory over a force of Japanese aircraft which attempted a daylight raid on Darwin. Thirteen of the enemy were shot down. In this the first attack cn Darwin since July 30 the Japanese used 27 bombers with an escort of 20 Zero fighters. Their objective was an airfield, but the Allied pilots, attacking with what is officially described as brilliant tactical interception, recorded their greatest victory against a single attack on Australia. Out of the total of 47 raiders four bombers and nine fighters were destroyed. The Allied planes achieved this without loss to themselves. DEFENDERS ALERT RAIDERS INTERCEPTED OVER SEA MOUNTING TOTAL OF ENEMY LOSSES. SYDNEY, August 24. A total of 29 raids on Darwin, beginning on February 19, has cost the enemy 73 planes. These aircraft comprised 40 Zero fighters, 32 bombers, and one other type. Despite the enemy’s advantage in manoeuvrability and ceiling, experienced Kittyhawk pilots have evidently perfected a technique for dealing with the high-flying Japanese Zero. Sunday’s raid followed a 24 days’ lull. The latest raid was made at noon and was anticipated by Darwin's defenders. Our fighters intercepted the enemy over the sea as he approached from the west. In the first sudden attack three bombers were seen to leave the formation and jettison their bombs, and it was obvious they would be unable to reach their base. Watchers on land could also see Zeros spiralling down trailing smoke as they fell. The remaining 24 bombers drove on to the target area, but a war correspondent describes their attack as •‘more panic bombing than pattern bombing.” Some bush fires, were started by incendiaries and high explosives, but the service damage was negligible. The Allied patrols used oxygen in the ratified atmosphere in which the fighting occurred. The Japanese were evidently determined to make full use of their superior ceiling, but the defenders caught them napping. An American pilot states that he saw a Japanese airman bale out of his machine, an unprecedented happening over enemy territory. However, when he flew past the parachute, there was no one in it. In the raids on Darwin, the enemy have employed 335 heavy bombers, 54 dive-bombers, and 179 fighters. Thus their losses average about 12 per cent of the attacking forces. Bombs dropped in the area are estimated to exceed 700,0001 b. weight. Service casualties are described as “ridiculously few.” Damage to service installations has not silenced a single gun-post, put any part of the com-' munications system out of action, or prevented any aerodrome from operating. Damage to civilian property has been estimated at £26,000. In dogfight's with the Japanese, only 17 Kittyhawks of the Darwin fighter force have been lost. From this area many bombing attacks have been made on enemy-occupied territory, and the fact that the aerodrome was the target for Sunday’s raid is significant. After the long lull it was generally felt that Darwin was overdue for a raid by the Japanese, who arrived, according to local prophets, a day later than expected.