MANY RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1943, Page 3

MANY RAIDS

„ ON JAPANESE BASES & SHIPPING IN SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC LIBERATORS SHOOT DOWN TWO ZEROS. IN LONG RUNNING BATTLE. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY. May 24. Raiding Gasmata (New Britain) for the 12th successive day, a small force of Liberators yesterday had to fight their way for 40 miles to the target against 10 enemy fighters. After our heavy bombers had successfully unloaded their bombs, the running battle continued for 100 miles out to sea. Two Zeros were shot down, but all the Liberators came safey home.

Yesterday’s heaviest raid in the South-West Pacific area was on Kavieng (New Ireland). Flying Fortresses in an attack before dawn pounded the aerodrome and shipping in the harbour for more than an hour. A close miss within 15 feet of an 8000-ton enemy cargo vessel was observed, but because of the darkness, it was not possible to assess the damage done in the raid.

Widespread Allied raids* were also made yesterday on other enemy bases in Timor, New Ireland, New Britain and New Guinea, according to General MacArthur’s communique today, but most of the attacks were on a small scale. Boston attack bombers and Beaufighters, however, struck another stout blow at Japanese supply transport fllong the north New Guinea coast, when they machine-gunned 40 barges or canoes in an area from Salamaua to Massau Bay.

The sole Japanese counter was a feeble one-plane raid on Port Moresby made in the early morning darkness. No damage was done.

NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA EXTENSIVE RECONNAISSANCE ALONG COASTS. MADE BY JAPANESE AIRCRAFT. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 24. Widespread Japanese air reconnaissance has been made along parts of the north-western Australian coast. It is also believed that enemy submarines may be engaged in more detailed surveys. Evidence of the activities of enemy reconnaissance parties is reported to have been discovered by an Australian patrol which under trying conditions made a search of certain northern coastal areas. It is now thought that four-engined Kawanisi flying-boats or twin-engined Mitsubishi medium bombers were used in Thursday and Friday nights’ ineffectual raids on Exmouth Gulf. Some observers believe the raids were mainly reconnaissance rather than offensive in purpose. Exmouth Gulf is an excellent anchorage offering a wide expanse of deep water with little tidal variation. The mouth of the gulf is protectively dotted with a number of small islands.

Carrying 15001 b. of bombs, the Mitsubishi bombers have a cruising range of 2700 miles, while flying-boats can cover equal distances. The Japanese have several bases in the Netherlands East Indies within 1000 miles of Exmouth Gulf.