TIMOR TO SOLOMONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1943, Page 3

TIMOR TO SOLOMONS

ATTACKS BY ALLIED BOMBERS CRUISER BOMBED. JAPANESE PASSIVITY IN AIR PRONOUNCED. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, February 19. Japanese shipping and aerodromes from Timor to® the Solomon Islands were attacked by General MacArthur’s bombers yesterday. No large enemy vessels are claimed to have been sunk, but those which were attacked included a cruiser in the harbour at Dili, Timor, a 5000-ton supply ship at Rein Bay, New Britain, and- another. cargo ship off Cape Orford, New Britain. A 300-ton auxiliary schooner and four launches were sunk or damaged at Alexishafen, New Guinea. The Japanese passivity in the air has been pronounced in recent weeks. The enemy’s offensive activities have been sparse and weak, and their fighter interception much reduced. The strongest fighter opposition which has been reported for some time in the South-west Pacific theatre was encountered yesterday by Mitchell medium bombers, which were attacking the cruiser at Dili. Five Zeros intercepted the raids, and, in a running fight for 100 miles across Portuguese Timor two of the enemy fighters were shot down. One Mitchell was lost, but later a raft carrying two men was observed on the water. Liberators made attacks on the Japanese cargo vessels at Cape Orford and Rein Bay, and near misses with 5001 b bombs damaged the ship at Rein Bay. Beaufighters which were sweeping along the northern New Guinea coast, fired 20,000 rounds into small shipping at Alexishafen, and our fighter pilots saw Japanese sailors leap overboard from the schooner and launches. The heaviest raid on an enemy aerodrome was a night attack by Catalina flying-boats on Kahili airfield, at Buin, on Bougainville Island, now the chief Japanese supply centre in the northern Solomons. Incendiaries and 5001 b highexplosive bombs destroyed grounded aircraft and supply dumps in a twohour attack. Fires were visible for 50 miles. In spite of intense anti-air-craft opposition all our planes returned. Liberators also attacked aerodromes at Finschhafen and Madang, in northern New Guinea. In the Lae-Waris area Havoc planes strafed targets along the coast. Brief reports today indicate that Australian patrols are active against the Japanese still retreating toward Mubo from Wau. The latest clashes have cost the enemy 40 additional dead.