FIERCE ASSAULTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 February 1943, Page 3

FIERCE ASSAULTS

ON JAPANESE PACIFIC BASES MADE BY MACARTHUR’S BOMBERS SEVEN STRONGHOLDS BLASTED. WITHOUT LOSS OF SINGLE PLANE. (Special Australian Correspondent.) v SYDNEY, February 16. Heavy aerial assaults were made on seven Japanese bases in. the South-west Pacific area yesterday. About 70 bombers took part in these attacks, the principal objectives being Rabat!!, in New Britain, Lae, in New Guinea, Dobo, in the Aru Islands, and Ambon, in Amboina.t Not a single plane was, lost. The day’s operations are believed to constitute a South-West Pacific record for the number of bombers employed. All the bases mentioned have been pounded for several weeks past. General MacArthur’s communique reports that the enemy apparently has been forced to abandon Dobo. For the second successive night Allied bombers made their biggest effort against the key enemy base at Rabaul. Striking in two waves, Flying Fortresses dropped about 40 tons of high explosives and 1500 incendiaries in attacks lasting for two hours. The first wave of Fortresses concentrated on the north and north-eastern sides of Simpson's Harbour and the second flight on the west side. As after Sunday’s raid, large fires raged all round the harbour and explosions occurred in ammunition dumps near Toboi wharf. The town was a mass of flames when cur bombers left. A single Fortress which began the raid by starting a large blaze on the Rapopo aerodrome, stayed over the area to make observations, and no fewer than 16 separate fires were counted. These were widely distributed. At Stettin Bay, New Britain, a heavy bomber on reconnaissance scored direct hits on a Japanese cargo ship. DEVASTATION AT LAE. The enemy's main New Guinea base, Lae, has received another damaging blow. Two waves of Mitchells and Havocs with an escort of Lightnings dropped 1? tons of bombs on supply dumps in the Malahang aerodrome area, with devastating results. Finschhafen aerodrome was also* bombed. North of Australia the Japanese appear to have been forced to abandon Dobo, their base in the Aru Islands. Destruction of their installations was completed yesterday when two flights of Hudsons raided the area. This was the second big attack on Dobo within a week. On the first occasion threequarters of the town was destroyed. General MacArthur’s communique today states: "The town is now in ruins. The wharves have been destroyed and the enemy have apparently been forced to abandon this position as a base.” At the important naval base of Ambon, which is 580 miles north or Darwin, an 8000-ton enemy transport is believed to have been destroyed, following two direct hits with 5001 b. bombs. Liberators which made the raid drove off four intercepting Zeros arid started big fires in the military installations near the port. The sole mention of ground operations in General MacArthur's communique today is that 72 additional Japanese dead have been counted along the enemy’s line of retreat from Wau to Mobo, in northern New Guinea.Australian patrols continue to round .up small parties of enemy stragglers.