JAPANESE WARSHIP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1943, Page 3

JAPANESE WARSHIP

RUNS ASHORE IN RABAUL HARBOUR TRYING TO DODGE ALLIED BOMBS. LONE LIBERATOR DESTROYS FOUR ZEROS. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, February 25. A large Japanese warship, in its desperate efforts to dodge Allied bombs, crashed into a reef at the southern end of Rabaul Harbour, when at the least seven enemy vessels, including other warships, were attacked in the water round New Britain and New Ireland by General MacArthur’s bombt ers yesterday. When it was last seen the large warship, which has not been identified, was stationary on the reef, and its fate is not known. Flying Fortresses maintained the hammering of the newest concentration of enemy warships and transports in Rabaul Harbour. In attacks from a low altitude with 5001 b. bombs they scored a direct hit on a 10,000-ton merchantman. Two small warships, which were zigzagging to escape, were damaged by heavy bombs exploding within 20ft. Such close misses often prove more destructive than direct hits, bombs having a torpedo effect in smashing the ships’ plates below the waterline. No enemy air interception was encountered, and all our bombers returned. Off Cape St. George, the most southerly point in New Ireland, Liberators attacked a destroyer and a merchant vessel, but the preliminary reports do not give the results. The Liberators have again won distinction with an epic performance against enemy fighters. Over Open Bay, New Britain, a lone bomber on reconnaissance, was attacked by 13 Zeros, and the fight ended after four of the Zeros had been shot down into the sea. Heavy Allied air attacks continue on the Japanese-occupied villages in the Lae, Mubo, Waria area in northern New Guinea. Thousand-pound bombs have caused terrific destruction among the flimsy nativebuilt hutments. Malahang aerodrome and installations at Lae and the villages of Angari and Yanga, both of which are within two miles of the enemy’s main base in New Guinea, all felt the weight of our latest bombing attacks. Havoc attack planes made 18 sweeps along the Mubo-Komiatum trail, by which supplies are moved up to the Japanese forward defences near Mubo. No further reports have been made of the ground activity in this area. In all, 10 enemy-occupied areas north and north-east of Australia have been attacked by Allied aircraft in the past 24 hours.