EXTENSIVE DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1943, Page 3

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE

DONE IN ALLIED ATTACK ON LAE MACARTHUR’S PLANES HINDERED BY BAD WEATHER. VAIN SEARCH FOR ENEMY CONVOY. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 1. Bad weather over the South-West Pacific area is of greater service to the Japanese than to the Allies. General MacArthur’s reconnaissance planes which are continuing the search for the enemy convoy of four merchantmen and two destroyers which was attacked by a single bomber last Saturday, have been unable to locate if along the north New Guinea coast. The belief is growing that the convoy succeeded in landing reinforcements and supplies for the enemy’s garrison at Wewak under cover of heavy cloud, and has since withdrawn to its base.

Liberators braved adverse conditions yesterday morning to make the biggest raid yet reported on the hard-pressed Japanese north New Guinea base of Lae. Today’s South-West Pacific communique says: “Our heavy bombers attacked in force, dropping 36 tons of high explosives from a medium altitude on the runway, the town area and the waterfront. Damage is believed to have been extensive. Antiaircraft fire was encountered. All our planes returned.”

Liberators went over in two formations and the raid lasted only 10 minutes . They concentrated their main attack on the terrace area which was once the residential section of Lac, but is now believed to be the main dispersal point for military stores. North of Australia, Beaufighters from a mainland base machine-gunned Langgoer aerodrome, in the Kei Islands, in an early morning raid. They destroyed one medium bomber and damaged one fighter caught on the ground. Of six Zeros which attempted interception one was shot down. All the Beaufighters came safely home. The only other offensive activity reported in General MacArthur’s latest communique was an attack on the Japanese north New Guinea base of Finschhafen.

SPLENDID WORK DONE BY ARMY SURGEONS IN NEW GUINEA. LIVES OF MANY SOLDIERS SAVED (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) MELBOURNE, June 1. Of 6000 casualties attended by one field .ambulance dressing station in New Guinea, only three men died. This was revealed by the Army Minister, Mr Forde, who told of the remarkable achievements of army surgeons in saving the lives of Australian soldiers in this theatre. Working within 500 yards of the battle areas, surgeons operated on men who were often wounded only 30 minutes earlier. Surgical teams worked under the most difficult conditions. For their operating theatre they frequently had merely an overhead canvas covering. Often they improvised their own operating tables and sterilising plants. Sometimes they worked ankle deep in mud.