JAPANESE SHIP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 June 1943, Page 4

JAPANESE SHIP

ATTACKED BY LIBERATOR

OFF NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA

LEFT CRIPPLED AND IN FLAMES.

ENEMY BARGES DESTROYED

OR DAMAGED

(Special Australian Correspondent.) • SYDNEY, June 15

A 4000-ton Japanese freighter was left in flames in Humbolt Bay, near Hollandia, on the north coast of Dutch New Guinea ,after being attacked by a Liberator on Sunday morning. The Allied bomber, which was on armed reconnaissance over the area, made several attacks before finally crippling the enemy vessel. In the first attack, which was made at a high level, the Liberator dropped six 5001 b. bombs, scoring a hit as well as a near miss. Fire broke out on the decks, but after 20 minutes the crew was apparently able to get it under control. Determined that the ship could not escape, the pilot of the Liberator came down to 200 ft., and then delivered a skin bombing broadside which scored a further direct hit and started the fire burning again. After the decks had been strafed with 1500 rounds of ammunition, the vessel was blazing fiercely. Our attack was pressed home in the face of anti-air-craft fire from the Stricken vessel, as well as from an accompanying patrol boat and two small unidentified ships. Enemy barges on the regular Japanese coastal supply route along the northern New Guinea coast between Madang and Lae were heavily attacked both on Saturday and Sunday nights. Our heavy bombers destroyed or damaged 11 of them, all being either set on fire or forced to beach.

Today’s communique from General MacArthur’s headquarters also reports that two Japanese planes raided Goodenough Island, just north of the eastern tip of New Guinea. They dropped incendiary bombs which caused no damage or casualties. A Flying Fortress attacked enemy ground installations on Tuam Island, in Vitiaz Strait, between New Guinea and New Britain, yesterday afternoon. A Catalina attacked Kaimana and Babo, in Dutch New Guinea, on Saturday night. Delayed reports indicate that two of our heavy bombers are missing from Sunday’s heavy raid on the Japanese air concentrations at Rabaul, in New Britain. Aerial photographs of the planes on the three Rabaul airfields should dispel any notion that the Japanese are recoiling from the lower Pacific fronts. The previous highest total recorded was on March 19, when 237 planes were counted on these aerodromes. However, some of the planes photographed on Sunday are stated, to be unserviceable. AIR ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, June 15. Japanese air activity in the South Pacific is reported in a United States Navy Department communique, which states that an enemy reconnaissance plane was damaged on Sunday by American fighters, while at night Japanese bombers were over Guadalcanal. The few bombs dropped did no damage and there were no casualties.