BAD TIME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 March 1943, Page 3

BAD TIME

• FOR JAPANESE GARRISONS IN NEW GUINEA CONTINUAL AIR HAMMERING OF SUPPLY LINES. I DEVELOPMENTS POSSIBLY IN PROSPECT. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, March 25. Allied pressure is increasing against Mubo, the advanced base for the Japanese forces in the Salaniaua-Lae sector of New Guinea. Yesterday for the second successive day low-flying Beau fighters and Boston bombers subjected the area to a terrific hammering. Mubo is the jungle base from which the Japanese started out late in January to attack the aerodrome at Wau. Their thrust made bj r a force estimated at 3000 was checked and then beaten back by Australian troops who inflicted heavy losses. Though no official reference has been made to recent land fighting round Mubo, it is believed that patrol clashes have been continually occurring since the major battle at Wau, with our forces always holding the initiative. Our planes raiding the Mubo-Salamaua-Lae area have met with no enemy air interference in the past few weeks, and the Japanese supply organisation is believed to have been considerably embarrassed by our attacks. With cargo-carrying submarines supplying their main northern Nev/ Guinea bases, the Japanese have distributed their stores by the use of a coastal barge transport system centred in a labyrinth of mangrove-covered la- 1 goons at Labu. Their steel barges are usually about 30 feet long and are capable of carrying at least 30 troops. Our continued hammering of their supply lines is having a serious cumulative effect on the enemy garrisons in this area. “The liveliness of the air war on the South-West Pacific front continues to supply the best evidence for the case for Allied aerial reinforcements in this region,” says the “Sydney Morning Herald” today in an editorial review of recent air activities, with particular reference to the record concentration of Japanese combat aircraft attacked at Rabaul on Tuesday morning. “The air strength required for success in our ‘holding war,”’ the paper adds, “cannot possibly be arbitrarily fixed by staff calculations at some time past, but must obviously depend on the force the enemy brings into this theatre. Here would seem an obvious basis for the representations now being made in Washington.” A message from Frank Tremaine, American United Press correspondent at Pearl Harbour, says there are indications that a new phase of the Pacific struggle may open shortly. Tremaine suggests that the Japanese, air concentration at Rabaul was offensively designed.

LIVELY ACTIVITY OF ALLIED AIR SQUADRONS. HIT SCORED ON MERCHANT . SHIP. SYDNEY, March 25. General MacArthur’s communique states * * “North-western sector, Dutch New Guinea (Kaimana): Our medium bombers attacked enemy shipping, scoring a hit on a 5000-ton merchantman and a near-miss on a small ship. Three enemy aircraft attempted interception, but were driven off, one of them being damaged. “Kai Islands (south of Timor): In successive attacks, two formations of our medium bombers swept through the island group, causing heavy damage by low-level bombing and strafing at the enemy-occupied towns of Langgoer and Faan, and by machine-gunning Koolfecr and other villages to the south. Two small coastal vessels were also strafed and seriously damaged. “Aru Island (Dobo): One of our medium units bombed the town. “North-eastern sector, SolomonsBuka: Our medium bombers executed a two-hour night harassing raid over the area, dropping bombs intermittently on the aerodrome runway and dispersal bays. “New Britain (Gasmata): During the night, one of our medium units bombed and strafed the aerodrome. During the day, one of our heavy units repeated the attack “New Guinea (Wewak): One of our. heavy reconnaissance units was attacked over the harbour by three enemy fighters, and within five minutes shot the tail off one, which crashed into a mountain ,and shot another out of combat without sustaining damage. “Finschhafen: One of our heavy bombers strafed the aerodrome and town. “Lae: One of our heavy units bombed the building area adjacent to the aerodrome. “Oro Bay: Under cover of darkness, a single enemy plane raided the area, dropping three bombs harmlessly in the bay before being driven off by oui’ anti-aircraft fire. < “Milne Bay: Three enemy bombers made two runs over the area shortly after midnight, causing neither damage nor casualties. ANOTHER ATTACK ON JAPANESE ISLAND BASE. LONDON, March 25. United States bombers and torpedocarriers, operating in the Solomons, yesterday attacked Japanese positions in the Shortland Island area, without loss.