RAID ON DARWIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 March 1943, Page 6

RAID ON DARWIN

MADE BV JAPANESE FIGHTERS SIX OUT OF FIFTEEN SHOT DOWN. ENEMY SHIP DESTROYED OFF NEW BRITAIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, March 3. The Japanese Air Force, after a lapse of several months, has resumed its costly day raiding operations against Darwin. Twelve Zeros and three unidentified fighters, which attacked the aerodrome in this area at noon yesterday, were intercepted by Allied fighters, which shot down six of the enemy planes. This was the first occasion when the Japanese employed only fighter aircraft in a raid on Darwin. The spokesman at General MacArthur’s headquarters revealed today that during recent weeks Japanese reconnaissance planes have been over Cape York Peninsula and Arnheim Land. Apart from the attacks on the Japanese convoy little important air ac-l tivity is reported in the South-West Pacific area during the past 24 hours. However, a medium-sized enemy ammunition ship was destroyed in Wide Bay, New Britain, when it received a direct hit with a 5001 b. bomb. The vessel exploded and sank. North of Australia Liberators have attacked the aerodrome at Wangapoe (Sumba Island), and Bima (Sumbawa Island), west of Timor.