AGAIN BEATEN BADLY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 June 1943, Page 3

AGAIN BEATEN BADLY

JAPANESE AIR FORCE

HEAVY LOSS IN BATTLE OVER LAE. LIGHTNINGS GAIN OUTSTANDING VICTORY. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY. June 22. Twenty-three Zeros out of a formation of 36 were destroyed or damaged in an air battle with American Lockheed Lightnings over the Lae area of northern New Guinea vestei'da v.

This smashing victory follows Sunday’s big win by British Australianmanned Spitfires over Darwin. It was announced today that two additional enemy planes had been destroyed over Darwin, bringing the total enemy casualties in this raid to 24 machines. This latest air battle in the SouthWest Pacific was part of a general upsurge of activity throughout the combat areas to Australia's north, inclubing sharp clashes between ground patrols round Mubo. Though outnumbered by about two to one, the American Lightning pilots scored their outstanding victory without loss to themselves. Recounting the action. General MacArthur's communique today says: "Our interceptors at midday attacked and decisively defeated an enemy formation of 36 Zeros, destroying or damaging 23 planes. Of these, 14 were actually seen to crash or blow up. and the remaining nine were in flames or losing altitude. Their complete destruction was most probable. Our damage was slight. “Later, our attack planes swept the area, bombing and strafing the Malahang and Lae aerodromes and starting fires."

“Thus, in two big air actions in the past two days, the Japanese have lost 47 planes destroyed or damaged. Only two Spitfires were lost over Darwin. Thus the enemy's ratio of losses, 47 to 2, is so disproportionate that he must now have good reason to pause." The latest official analysis of the Darwin air battle is that the enemy lost eight bombers and four fighters destroyed, one bomber and one fighter probably destroyed, and eight bombers and two fighters damaged. Eight Japanese bodies and a portion of a bomber have been discovered seven miles north-east of Darwin, indicating a crash and subsequent explosion. It is estimated that the Japanese lost about 50 members of air crews in Sunday’s raid on Darwin, Ten of their planes were "Dinahs,” light, fast, twinengined machines somewhat similar to the British Beaufighter. The “Dinahs” were unescorted and came in at treetop level to make ineffectual strafing passes.

“The results have justified our faith in the Spitfires,” said the Air Officer Commanding. North-West Area, commenting on the outcome of Sunday's big air battle over Dar Win." The destruction of almost half of the Japanese raiding force of 48 planes is seen by a “Sydney Herald” commentator as indicating that any weakness evident in interception tactics during the Darwin raid on May 2 when the Spitfires casualties were relatively high, has since been remedied. On that occasion, the Spitfires intercepted a far superior enemy force of 21 bombers and 31 fighters. They destroyed or damaged 13 Japanese planes, but their own losses were heavy. The latest attack on Darwin was the 55th since the war began.