CRIPPLING BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1943, Page 2

CRIPPLING BLOWS

1 STRUCK AT JAPANESE CONVOY MAKING FOR WEWAK THREE SHIPS HEAVILY HIT. ONE SEEN SINKING & ANOTHER BEACHED. I ‘ (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY, April 16.. Side by side with their mounting air offensive, the 1 Japanese are continuing to build up their bases in the South-West Pacific area. Today’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters reports that heavy attacks are continuing on the enemy convoy of six merchant vessels and three warships approaching Wewak, which is now the chief Japanese base on the north coast of New Guinea. Heavy damage was done to three merchantmen in the initial attacks, which were made at dusk yesterday. The communique's report of the action says that heavy bombers struck at the convoy in the approaches to the harbour, and in a series of mast-height attacks three vessels were heavily hit. ' An 8000-ton cargo ship was (observed listing rapidly, with heavy oil slick on the water; another 8000-ton vessel was seen to be sinking slowly by the stern, and a third vessel, of 5000 tons was forced to the shore and beached. The attack is continuing. | . No offensive action by the Japanese air force in this theatre was reported yesterday, lout an Allied heavy bomber on reconnaissance over Kavieng, New Ireland, was intercepted by 10 Zeros, three of which were shot out of action before the bomber reached cloud cover and shook off the remainder of its pursuers. In New Britain the Lakunai aerodrome at Rabaul was heavily raided in a before-dawn attack, and large fires and explosions were caused. Gasmata aerodrome was also attacked. Grounded aircraft on the Lae aerodrome were hit in a heavy bomber attack, while lighter air units executed 11 low-level bombing and strafing runs over enemy grounded positions in the Buigap Creek area, • near Mubo. North of Australia, a medium bomber attacked enemy installations at Taberfane,on Trangan Island, in the Aru group, while enemy coastal shipping at Jamdena Island, in the nearby Tenimber group, was' also bombed. In Timor our medium bombers attacked the enemy-occupied village of Ossu.