EFFECTIVE ATTACK
ON JAPANESE PACIFIC BASES BY AMERICAN NAVAL & AIR FORCES. INDICATION OF GREATER THINGS TO COME. (By Telegraph—Frees Association— Copyright) PEARL HARBOUR, September 22. Detailing the results of weekend raids on the Gilbert Islands, the Com-mander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleets, Admiral Nimitz, disclosed that a carrier task force in collaboration with land-based army and navy bombers, damaged four Japanese bases, losing only four fighters in spite of heavy anti-aircraft fire and attempted interception by enemy fighters. The raiders made more than 200 sorties against Tarawa, Makin, Apamama, and Nauru during Saturday night and Sunday. The communique listed the damage as follows: — Tarawa: Aerodrome facilities heavily damaged; eight bombers destroyed on the runway; one small vessel sunk. Makin: Air base damaged; three four-engined seaplanes and a patrol plane destroyed. Apamama: Camp installations heavily hit. Nauru: Installations damaged. In addition .to destroying aircraft on the ground, our forces shot down six Zeros, probably shot down four others, and damaged eight. Fighters also shot down two medium bombers. The “New York Times” Pearl Harbour correspondent says the communique indicated that the Japanese have considerably enlarged their central Pacific bases since the last American operations more than a year ago. ,It is also inferred that the Japanese in the Marshalls and Gilberts now face constant bombardment from American aerodromes established in islands within flying range. It is regarded as significant that a carrier task force could venture boldly in these waters which heretofore were considered as enemycontrolled. The army bombers participating probably took off from Funafuti, which was used in previous raids against Tarawa. The planes bombing Nauru may come from Guadalcanal. The entire operation is taken as an indication that Admiral Nimitz is prepared to blast the Japanese from the central Pacific and push them back to Truk, in conjunction with General MacArthur’s forces. Such an accomplishment would leave Allied supply lines from Hawaii to New Zealand and Australia free from any threat except submarines, at the same time confining the Japanese to a shortened inner defence perimeter.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 September 1943, Page 3
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336EFFECTIVE ATTACK Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 September 1943, Page 3
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