HEAVY RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 January 1943, Page 2

HEAVY RAIDS

ON JAPANESE SHIPPING & BASES CRUISER PROBABLY SUNK OTHER ENEMY SHIPS SEVERELY DAMAGED. FOURTEEN ZEROS SHOT DOWN. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, January 22. A Japanese cruiser and a 5000-ton merchantman have been crippled in a raid on Amboina. The cruiser is thought to have been'spnk. Two more enemy merchantmen. have been severely damaged in another heavy raid on Rabaul. These attacks on enemy shipping are part of the continued widespread Allied air activity throughout the area of the South-West Pacific Command. Fourteen Zeros were shot down yesterday and eight others were damaged.

The attack on Japanese shipping at the important naval base of Amboina, on the island of the same name, about 600 miles north-west of Darwin, indicates the purpose of recent Allied reconnaissance flights over this area. Liberators made the raid, and a force of about 20 Zeros intercepted, two of which were shot down and others were damaged. All our planes returned.

When last seen the cruiser was listing badly with smoke pouring from it. No indication had been given of the likely purpose of the enemy shipping concentration at Amboina. It may be intended for an offensive purpose, or —more likely —it is being used to strengthen the Japanese positions on Timor and the other islands in the Arafura Sea. Catalinas and Flying Fortresses attacked shipping in Rabaul harbour in raids lasting for several hours from midnight on Wednesday. They seriously damaged 6000 and 2000-ton merchantmen. The attacks were pressed home from mast height, and the enemy were later observed attempting to beach the larger vessel to prevent its total loss. The aerodromes in the Rabaul area were also heavily raided to hamper fighter interception. Increased Japanese air activity has again been evident. In various actions throughout the South-West Pacific Command area yesterday the enemy employed about 60 planes. Two of these actions were offensive. B One was a night raid on Darvjin, - made by two planes, whose bombs dropped harmlessly in the bush. Our Kittyhawk night-fighters intercepted, , and one of'the bombers is believed to have been destroyed. Two enemy night raids have also been made at Milne Bay. A total of 12 bombers caused slight damage but no casualties at the aerodrome. Over Wewak, near Sanananda, in Papua, four Liberator bombers were engaged by 25 Zeros in a running fight which lasted for an hour. Twelve enemy fighters were shot down and six others were damaged. All four Liberators returned safely. i RAPID PROGRESS i < l AGAINST JAPANESE REMNANTS AT SANANANDA. 5 ? CONTINUING ENEMY LOSSES. (Special Australian Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, January 22. 1 The Allied forces are rapidly destroy1 ing the remaining Japanese resistance round Sanananda. When one enemy : pocket was cleaned out yesterday 150 Japanese were killed, and heavy casuali ties have also been inflicted on the enemy troops defending the other strong- ’ points. The Allied gains have been made in spiti ‘ of adverse ground and weather conditions ; Ten inches of rain fell in the area yester day. In their three remaining dwindling poc kets of resistance the Japanese are being at tacked from all sides. The largest enemy, held area is the beach front of 150 yards. Ii Giruwa (the Tarakena area) the enemj troops defiantly hoisted two flags. Australians shot them down, and the Japanest immediately hoisted two larger flags, whicl were also shot down. American and Australian forces are combining their attacks a’ this point, where the enemy defences arc strongest. Japanese power-driven barges have agair been heard moving at night off Sanananda and two or three may have put in to the shore for brief periods. The purpose of the visit has not been established. TRAPPED JAPANESE PREFERRED DROWNING TO SURRENDER. EPISODE ON GUADALCANAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, January 21. How 200 Japanese soldiers walked into the sea and drowned themselves is told by Colonel Leroy Hunt, who led the victorious

assault by United States Marines against Guadalcanal last August. The Japanese were surrounded and apparently preferred drowning to surrender. “I just sat under a palm tree and watched them,” he said.' “It was hard to believe, even though I saw it.” The Japanese were veterans of the East Indies campaign who had been sent on a flanking movement to trap the Americans, but a counter-flanking movement trapped them. Colonel Hunt said the Americans were slightly jittery at first, but they soon found that the Japanese were no superman, overcame their jitters and beat the enemy at their own game of jungle fighting. HARRASSING ATTACKS BY AMERICAN AIR FORCES. SOME JAPANESE RAIDS. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) WASHINGTON, January 22. A Navy Department communique states that during Wednesday night United States aircraft carried out several harassing attacks on enemy installations on Ballale Island, but the results were not observed. A Japanese plane dropped several bombs on Espiritu Santo Island, in the New Hebrides. There were no casualties or damage. On Thursday night a single enemy plane dropped bombs in the vicinity of the airfield on Guadalcanal, causing minor damage to installations. Three men were killed and one was wounded. Anti-aircraft batteries shot down one enemy plane. The United States ground forces on Guadalcanal have continued the mopping up of pockets of enemy resistance and have made small advances in some sectors. BOMBS ON TOKIO PROMISED BY AUSTRALIAN AIR MINISTER.' BEFORE END OF THIS YEAR. LONDON, January 21. Australia's Air Minister, Mr Drakeford, said in Melbourne today: “We have air superiority in the South-West Pacific, and the

enemy will suffer further crushing blows here and in the Solomons.” Mr Drakeford said that when the immediate threat to Australia's shores was removed the R.A.A.F. would not skulk at home, but before 1943 ended would surely drop bombs on Tokio. i