AT LONG RANGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 June 1943, Page 3

AT LONG RANGE

JAPANESE BASE IN EAST INDIES ATTACKED BY MACARTHUR’S LIBERATORS. MANY RAIDS ON ENEMY ISLAND DEPOTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, June 9. Flying more than 1400 miles on the round trip, a small force of General MacArthur’s Liberators yesterday attacked Japanese shipping at Waingapu, on Sumba Island, in the Netherlands East Indies. They scored two damaging near-misses with 5001 b. bombs against a 5000-ton cargo vessel. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered from ships in the harbour and from shore batteries. Waingapu may have been the base from which Japanese aircraft last month made two raids on Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. It has a small airfield and its sheltered harbour waters make it suitable for a seaplane base.

Over the Bismarck Sea area, a Liberator on reconnaissance sighted and attacked a small enemy convoy 35 miles from Kavieng. No hits were reported. The convoy, comprising four merchantmen of between 4000 and 5000 tons with a gunboat escort, was probably bound for Rabaul. There is a steady' passage of enemy vessels between Kavieng and Rabaul. With the maintained improvement in weather conditions throughout the South-West Pacific area yesterday, Allied aircraft were over eight enemy bases.' Kaimana and Babo, in Dutch New Guinea, Dilli and Koepang, in Timor, and Cape Gloucester, in New Britain, were all bombed. The heaviest attack was made on Babo, where a night raid on the aerodrome and supply dump area caused explosions which rocked our planes at 6000 ft. In support of the Australian troops fighting round Mubo. Beaufighters strafed buildings and supply trails at Komiatum.