WAR IN PACIFIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 February 1943, Page 3

WAR IN PACIFIC

UNITED STATES AIRCRAFT ACTIVE x | FURTHER ATTACKS ON ENEMY BASES. OPERATIONS IN SOLOMONS AREA. LONDON, February 17. ■ United States aircraft in the Solomons bombed Japanese bases on Bougainville and on another island. An airfield was among'the targets attacked. Two American aircraft are missing. f TIMOR BOMBED TWO RAIDS IN ONE DAY. ABANDONMENT OF DOBO CONFIRMED. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, February 17. Air activity in the South-west Pacific Command area yesterday was on a much-reduced scale. The heaviest Allied attacks were directed against the Japanese base at Dilli, the capital of Portuguese Timor, which had been twice bombed on the previous day. Yesterday Mitchell and Hudson medium bombers attacked in three separate waves. Intercepting enemy fighters were driven oft’ without loss to our planes. A Beaufighter reconnaissance of Dobo in the Aru Islands, the nearest Japanese strongpoint to Australia, confirms that the enemy has been forced to abandon this base. About 20 tons of high explosives were dropped on the town area in Monday’s smashing raid. Yesterday, when our reconnoitering plane flew over Dobo at a height of less than 100 ft., the observers could find no sign of enemy activity. Continued heavy attacks on Lae and Salamaua are undoubtedly connected with the land activity in the nearby Wau-Mubo sector, being designed to hamper the enemy in building up his coastal reserves and in supplying his inland troops. Mitchell bombers made low-level attacks on Malahang aerodrome at Lae, causing considerable damage to runways and installations. At Salamaua our bombers attacked the penisula area, destroying many small boats along the shore. No Japanese fighter opposition was encountered. The enemy forces which attacked Wau almost three weeks ago are still being harassed by Australian patrols in their retreat toward Mubo. In yesterday’s patrol clashes with Japanese stragglers around Wandumi, eight miles from Wau, Australians killed 17 additional enemy troops. ENEMY DESTROYERS AMERICANS SCORE TWO BOMB HITS. SUCCESS IN NEW GEORGIA GROUP. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 16. A United States Navy communique says: “Dauntless dive-bombers escorted by Wildcats attacked a Japanese surface force near Rendova Island, in the New Georgia group. Bomb hits were scored on two enemy destroyers, and also two possible hits. Three Zeros were destroyed. “Marauder medium bombers escorted by Airacobras and Warhawks yesterday morning i bombed Japanese positions and started fires on Kilombangara Island. Later in the morning Dauntless dive-bombers and Avenger torpedo-planes escorted by Wildcats attacked enemy positions on Munda. During the afternoon Dauntless and Avengers escorted by Wildcats and Corsairs made a second attack on Munda. “No American planes were lost in the above attacks, though some received damage from anti-aircraft fife.”