MORE DESTRUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1943, Page 3

MORE DESTRUCTION

OF JAPANESE AIRCRAFT IN WEWAK AREA ENEMY LOSSES FOR WEEK TOTAL OVER 300. PERSISTENT AND EFFECTIVE ALLIED ATTACKS. SYDNEY, August 22. More than 300 Japanese aircraft have been destroyed in the Wewak area, north-east New Guinea, during the past week. Tiie Allied air force on Friday and yesterday struck new heavy blows against continued enemy aircraft concentrations at Wewak. where the Japanese suffered their greatest aerial disaster of the South Pacific war. when 215 planes were destroyed there last Tuesday and Wednesday. In the newest raid, which was made yesterday, 34 enemy aircraft were left burning cn the ground, while at least 33 were shot down in combat. On Friday, five enemy planes were destroyed on the ground, and at least 19 were shot down. The Japanese have persisted in their staggeringly costly efforts to reinforce their plane strength on the four aerodromes round Wewak. “This effort to restore his air strength in New Guinea is being nullified by our continuous assault on his bases,” says General MacArthur's latest communique, “and the Wewak area has again become the scene of fierce combat.” Reporting yesterday’s raid, the communique says: “Our medium bombers, with a fighter escort, struck the enemy airfields at Dagua and But during the morning, completing the destruction of aircraft previously rendered unserviceable and destroying possible replacements. Thirty-four of these aircraft were left burning on the ground. Antiaircraft positions were extensively .strafed and many were silenced. Offshore, four barges and a power-launch were strafed and destroyed. “A large force of enemy fighters was met in the air near the area. Thirtythree were reported shot down and five others probably destroyed. Three of our fighters are missing and a number sustained minor damage.” Liberators and Mitchells, escorted bv Lightnings, have kept up attacks against Wewak. On Friday, 68 tons of high explosives were dropped on the runways and disperal areas at Boram airfield. When more than 30 Zeros tried to drive off our raiders, 19 were shot down, six more probably destroyed, and three others damaged. The Allied losses were two planes. The Japanese landed at Wewak last December. Wewak now ranks as third to Truk and Rabaul among the enemy bases in the Central and South Pacific. DAMAGING RAID ON NICKEL MINING CENTRE IN CELEBES. SUCCESSFUL BLOWS' STRUCK AT ENEMY SHIPPING. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) . _ SYDNEY, August 22. Striking far into Japanese-held territory, General MacArthur's heavy bombers have made a heavy daylight attack on an important nickel mining centre at Pomelaa, in Celebes. Twenty-seven tons of bombs were discharged in a congested target area. Fires were started in a loading plant and extensive damage was caused to warehouses and mills. This is the first occasion on which Pomelaa has been raided. An enemy freighter caught in the harbour was bombed and damaged, and numerous small surface craft were strafed and destroyed. All our planes returned. One of them fought off 12 Zeros, shooting down two and probably destroying three others. The Allied air forces in the South and South-West Pacific areas have been very active during the past 48 hours. In the Solomons, a 500-ton cargo vessel was left sinking west of Buka, Bougainville Island, after it had been attacked by our reconnaissance aircraft. Three Japanese planes made an ineffectual raid before dawn on Munda airfield, New Georgia, which is now in use by Allied air forces. Enemy bombers also raided the Darwin area at night, causing minor damage. There were no casualties. SALAMAUA BATTLE JAPANESE THROWN BACK ON INNER DEFENCES. DETERMINED AUSTRALIAN ATTACKS. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 22. The outer line of the Japanese defences round Salamaua has collapsed. The main Japanese forces, who have been driven from their outpost defences by determined Australian attacks, are falling back to new positions to meet the Allied drive. The Australians are attacking along the entire front, and wav correspondents expect that the final battle for Salamaua will be fought in the area of the muchbombed airfield. Komiatum and Orodubi have been captured and the whole of the Mount Tambu sector practically cleared of the enemy. In their retreat, the Japanese have abandoned machine-guns and artillery. More than 350 dead have been counted.

A long series of co-ordinated attacks has now driven the enemy into an ever-narrowing circle of bombed and burnt-out installations and airstrips, which have been the targets for unceasing air attacks. Rearguards are fighting to cover the withdrawal of the main Japanese forces. Allied planes in the past six weeks have dropped nearly 2000 tons, of bombs on the Salamaua area, which has also been under fire from Australian and American artillery, marihandIcd through the jungle. Salamaua has been in enemy hands since March 8, 1942. It ig about 25 land miles and 17 air miles from the enemy’s main base at Lae.