VICTORY COMPLETE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1943, Page 3

VICTORY COMPLETE

AS RESULT OF CAREFUL PREPARATION GENERAL MACARTHUR’S COMMENT. “PROVIDENCE HAS GUARDED US.” (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, March 4. During yesterday afternoon the original Japanese force of 14 warships and transports was joined by eight other vessels. Of the complete armada 12 vessel were transports and 10 were warships—cruisers or destroyers. Their total tonnage aggregated about 90,000. When the news of the outcome of the battle reached General MacArthur his only comment was, “A merciful Providence has guarded us in this great victory.” Not a single ship of the Japanese convoy has forced a landing and not a man of the new invasion force has reached the New Guinea shore. The battle is now virtually completed. The enemy fleet has been battered out of existence, and its scattered remnants are being pursued and sunk. Every ship that has not already gone to the bottom has been hit and is badly damaged. The major destruction was caused during yesterday, when 42 Japanese aircraft were shot out of action in their vain attempts to protect the convoy. In the one 24-hour period up to noon yesterday Allied heavy bombers, flying in almost ceaseless relays over the convoy, dropped more than 100 tons of bombs. In a single strafing sweep by medium bombers 17,000 rounds of ammunition were shot into the target. The news of the magnitude of the victory, which is the only 100 per ceiit convoy annihilation on record in this war, has caused surprise and jubilation. In the 24 hours the toll of destruction which was wrought on the convoy had leapt amazingly from two ships sunk and two damaged to 22 ships either sunk or badly damaged, with our attacks against the battered survivors continuing. s Today’s communique says: “All the ships are sunk or sinking.” No vessel came nearer than 40 miles from the shore of New Guinea, and the latest air reconnaissance reports reveal no enemy personnel in small boats. The general headquarters spokesman declared: “This victory was complete because the convoy was anticipated and its intentions were diagnosed. During the apparent temporary lull in activities our air force was conditioned and prepared for the attack.”