MANY ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 May 1943, Page 3

MANY ATTACKS

/MADE BY MACARTHUR’S BOMBERS DAMAGE TO ENEMY SHIPS & BASES. RAIDS IN FORCE ON SEVERAL AERODROMES. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, May 30. After earlier adverse weather had hindered aerial operations throughout the South-West Pacific, General MacArthur’s reconnaissance aircraft on Saturday ranged over a wide area. Attacks on 15 enemy-occupied areas are reported in the latest communique. Single bombers raided targets from Timor to New Britain. A few raids were on a heavier 'scale. These included attacks against the town area at Dilli and the Penfoei aerodrome at Koepang, Timor, where fires were started. Another bigger raid was on Madang, on the north New Guinea coast, which was also attacked in strength last Wednesday. In the latest raid on the aerodrome our heavy bombers started fires in the dispersal area. In Hansa Bay, midway between Madang and Wewak, an Allied heavy bomber scored two close misses against the bow of a 5000-ton Japanese transport, leaving it smoking. Two of four Zeros were shot down by an earlier reconnaissance bomber in the same area. Alexishafen and Saidor, along the coast, were bombed and strafed. North of Australia in the Banda Sea, one of our reconnaissance units attacked a 1000-ton Japanese cargo ship towing six barges. General MacArthur’s communique reports that “damaging near misses were scored with 5001 b. bombs, and the entire flotilla was strafed.” In the western New Guinea area our reconnaissance aircraft on Saturday raided Timika, Nabire and Babo. In the Banda Sea, Namlea, Burn Island, Bima, Sumbawa, Waingapu, Sumba and Rambang Lombok were among the enemy-occupied areas attacked by single Allied bombers. No Japanese offensive activity in the South-West Pacific on Saturday is reported. BEATEN OFF JAPANESE RAID EAST OF DARWIN. THREE BOMBERS SHOT DOWN & OTHERS DAMAGED. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 30. Spitfires beat off another Japanese raid on a northern Australian objective on Friday, when they shot down three out of eight bombers attempting a third attack on Millingimbi, in Arnhem Land, 220 miles east of Darwin. Other enemy planes were damaged. Two Spitfires were lost, but the pilot of one was seen to bail out and may have been rescued.

The raiding bombers were escorted by six Zeros. They did not come below 15,000 feet to make their midday attack. Fifty bombs dropped against an Allied airstrip did but little damage and caused no casualties.

The number of Spitfires which took part in the engagement is not disclosed, but it is officially stated that they were greatly outnumbered. The base was previously raided on May 9 and 10, the Japanese losing two planes destroyed, two probably destroyed, and two damaged in these attacks. Millingimbi is one of the Crocodile Islands situated in Castlereagh' Bay.