FIVE BOMBERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 June 1943, Page 3

FIVE BOMBERS

SHOT DOWN BY NEW ZEALAND PILOTS IN THE SOLOMONS AIR BATTLE JAPANESE LOSE 94 PLANES. OUT OF FORCE OF ABOUT 120. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 19. Fight New Zealand pilots took. part in the highly successful. air battle against Japanese lighters aiid bombers over Guadalcanal on \\ cduesday. and accounted lor five of the bombers shot down.

This information is contained in a United States Navy communique which states that the score, which was first announced as 77 Japanese planes, has now been brought to 94, the additional 17 planes being accounted for by 16 being shot down by ships in the harbour and one by shore-based antiaircraft guns.

The comn’iunique states that an equal number of Army and Navy planes took part in the battle in which the 94 Japanese planes were destroyed. The New Zealanders were flying Army pianos. All the planes were based on Henderson Field, and included Corsairs. Wildcats, Lightnings, Airacobras and Warhawks.

The communique adds: “On Wednesday a twin-engined Japanese reconnaissance bomber was shot down southeast of San Christobal Island. On Thursday afternoon Dauntless divebombers. escorted by Wildcats attacked Japanese positions at Rekata Bay in the Santa Isabel Islands. Hits were scored on enemy aircraft positions. During the night an unknown number of Japanese planes approached Guadalcanal and dropped bombs harmlessly into the water off Tulat. No damage or casualties were sustained.” DELIGHT EXPRESSED BY.GENERAL MACARTHUR. OVER “MAGNIFICENT STRIKE” IN SOLOMONS. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 20. According to an Australian war correspondent with the United States South Pacific Fleet, more than 10 per cent of the Japanese air strength in the New BritainSolomons area has been destroyed this month. General MacArthur has ■ expressed “delight over the magnificent strike”

in congratulatory messages to Admiral Halsey on the destruction of 94 of the enemy's planes in last Wednesday's air battle over Guadalcanal. DAMAGING BLOWS STRUCK BY AMERICAN AIRCRAFT. AT JAPANESE ISLAND BASES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY. June 20. A United States Navy communique states: “Liberators on Friday night started large fires at Kahili, in the Buin area, and Mitchells attacked Ballale Island, in the Shortland area Six Japanese barges were strafed south of Vella Lavella Island. One Mitchell bombed the runway at Kolombangara Island, and on,the same night patrol bombers and Liberators attacked Japanese positions on Nauru Island, starting large oil fires and causing considerable damage in a dispersal area and to living quarters.