RAID ON DARWIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 March 1943, Page 3

RAID ON DARWIN

FOURTEEN JAPANESE PLANES SHOT DOWN FOUR SPITFIRES LOST BUT TWO OF THE PILOTS SAVED. SLIGHT DAMAGE & CASUALTIES IN TOWN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, March 16. General MacArthur’s communique reports that 25 enemy medium bombers, escorted by 24 fighters, raided the town, and harbour of Darwin before noon, causing only slight damage and casualties. “Our fighters intercepted and drove off the enemy planes,” the communique adds, “shooting two bombers and 12 fighters out of action and so seriously damaging an additional three fighters and two bombers that they probably failed to reach their base. “Four of our planes were lost, but the pilots of two were saved.” ATTACK ON TRANSPORTS. In the Aru Islands area, south of New Guinea, the communique reported, “three medium-sized enemy transports laden with troops were reported by our reconnaissance approaching Dobo from the north during the day. Formations of our medium bombers and long range fighters attacked the convoy during the late afternoon, bombing and strafing from masthead height. “Direct hits were scored on two vessels, causing heavy damage and fires, while near-hits were registered round ail the ships. Our long-range fighters raking the decks with cannon and machine-gun fire, caused heavy casualties among troops packed on the deck. One of our planes is missing.” At Oro Bay, on the north coast of Papua, about 20 miles south-east of Buna, the communique says “15 enemy bombers raided the wharf area at dusk, causing slight damage and no casualties. Our anti-aircraft batteries engaged the raiders with unknown resuits.” MANY BASES BOMBED. The remainder of the communique is as follows:— “North-west sector, Dutch New Guinea (Kaiman): Our heavy bombers attacked two enemy merchant vessels in Bitsjaroe Bay, with unobserved results. “Banda Sea: One of our medium units bombed and damaged an enemy coastal schooner. “North-eastern sector, New Britain (Gasmata): One of our medium units made a slight raid on the aerodrome. Bombs fell in the target area, but results could not be observed. Later in the day one of our heavy units bombed the building area. “Cape Gloucester: One of our heavy units strafed the aerodrome from a low altitude. Another heavy unit later bombed the aerodrome installations with unobserved results. “New Guinea (Wewak): Our heavy units bombed the aerodrome and town of Tring after dusk. “Finschhafen: One of our heavy units bombed the aerodrome. “Mubo: Our long-range fighters executed 10 strafing passes over enemy positions during the day and swept the coast from the mouth of the Waria River to Salamaua. No opposition was encountered.” ATTACKS KEPT UP VILA & MUNDA BOMBED. LONDON, March 16. Washington announces that American aircraft last evening again bombed the Japanese positions at Vila and Munda in the Central Solomons. All the American planes returned safely.