GALLANT DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 June 1943, Page 3

GALLANT DEFENCE

MADE BY FLYING FORTRESS FIFTEEN ZEROS BEATEN OFF. DAMAGING SURPRISE RAID ON CELEBES BASE. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY. June 17. With five of its crew casualties, a badly damaged Flying Fortress fought 15 Zeros over Buka Passage, in the north-eastern Solomons, yesterday morning and returned to its base safely. This dramatic battle is mentioned in today's communique from General MacArthur's headquarters. The Fortress -was on a reconnaissance mission when it was attacked at an altitude of 25,000 ft. However, our bomber fought off a formidable enemy fighter force and brought back valuable photographs. No claim is made of any attacking Zeros shot down.

The latest aerial reconnaissance over Rabaul shows a slight decrease in the powerful enemy aircraft concentrations on the aerodromes in the area. There are, however, indications of concentrations of varying sizes at. the Kahili, Ballale and Faisi aerodromes, and on Buka Island, all in the northern Solomons. Our reconnaissance pilots also report evidence of Japanese air strength round Wewak, on the north coast of New Guinea.

The biggest Allied raid reported in today’s communique was made on Kendari, the main enemy base ow Celebes. Australian-based Liberators dropped 16 tons of bombs on the aerodrome there. An Australian war correspondent who accompanied the raiders reports that the Japanese defences were apparently taken by surprise. Numerous explosions occurred among parked aircraft, and direct hits were scored on administration installations. The fires started were visible for 50 miles.

Seven raids by Allied aircraft' are reported in the latest South-West Pacific communique. Our medium bombers started fires in a night raid on the town area of Koepang, in Timor. In the Markham Valley, northern New Guinea, Beaufighters strafed Boana village and nearby areas.

Enemy fighters were also active over this territory. Six bombers, escorted by six Zeros, attacked two native villages on Ramu River. Yesterday it was reported that Japanese planes had raided Benabena, about 90 air miles north-west of Lae. This is at the head-waters of the Furan River, which flows into the Gulf of Papua near Kerema, and of the Ramu River, which flows out on" the north New Guinea coast near Nubia. The Markham River, which empties into the Huon Gulf, also rises from this source. The country is high plateau land.

Three enemy bombers also raided the Buna area in Papua, dropping bombs inland from Buna as well as at Cape Sudest. They caused no damage or casualties. Allied Bostons made 31 strafing passes and dropped bombs along Buigap Creek, north of Mubo. A Mitchell medium bomber attacked a Japanese power-boat in the Finschhafen area, and a Catalina bombed the Cape Gloucester (New Britain) aerodrome.