ENEMY PLANE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1943, Page 3

ENEMY PLANE

REPORTED OVER SYDNEY AND PORT KEMBLA ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS OPEN UP FIRE. FIRST INCIDENT OF KIND * SO FAR SOUTH. CANBERRA, This Day. Sydney tonight had an air raid , alert. The city’s anti-aircraft guns opened up when the enemy aircraft appeared. It is thought that the pane came from a submarine. The plane turned back and flew out to sea. , Another hostile aircraft was sighted over the Port Kembla area. Both Sydney and Port Kembla were blacked out after the alert was given. • The Federal Prime Minister, Mr Curtin, said the incidents showed how the Japanese had spread themselves. It was claimed that no part of Australia was immune from Japanese sea-borne aircraft. This is the first time enemy aircraft have appeared so far south in Australia. Sydney is about 1500 miles from the nearest enemy land base In New Guinea. PEOPLE CALM DEFENCE ORGANISATION READY. OFFICIAL STATEMENTS. (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. People everywhere were calm. With the sounding of the all clear the following official statement was made by Major General A. C. Fewtrell, G.0.C., New South Wales Lines of Communication area: “Early in the 'evening an enemy plane, apparently from a submarine, was located moving eastwards towards the coast. Standby warnings were issued at the Sydney metropolitan and Port Kembla areas and later, when the plane was m the vicinity of the latter area, a blackout was ordered. At a later stage an aeroplane was discovered over the metropolitan area and anti-aircraft batteries opened fire. On the first round being fired at the plane, it immediately turned and flew out to sea. In (view of the fact that planes from submarines can carry bombs it was decided not to remove the blackout until a later hour. At midnight, it was decided to lift the blackout in both areas.” Mr Curtin said that planes from submarines not only threatened shipping but also cities. On this occasion the defence organisation was found to be in perfect order, because the forces responsible were at their posts. There was a post for every. citizen in this war and every citizen should stick to it, he said.