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Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 September 1943, Page 3

SHATTERING BLOW STRUCK BY ALLIED AIRCRAFT DESTRUCTION OF JAPANESE SHIPS & PLANES. BULK OF ENEMY PLANES CAUGHT ON GROUND. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY, September 29. Giving details of the smashing Allied raid on Wewak, in Northern New Guinea, on Monday, a communique issued from General MacArthur’s Headquarters states: — “Our heavy and medium bombers in force, with a strong fighter escort, executed a surprise attack on the enemy’s Wewak, Boram, Dagua and But aerodromes and on shipping in the harbour. Attack bombers coming in at a minimum altitude caught the bulk of the enemy air force on the ground. Some 50 parked aircraft, were destroyed and fires started in fuel and supply dumps. Destruction was widespread. “In the harbour a newly arrived convoy was struck in a mast-high attack which left three tankers on fire and sinking and four merchant vessels ranging up to 500 tons sunk or destroyed. In addition, 29 barges and luggers were sunk or severely damaged. “The enemy weakly intercepted with '2O fighters, eight of which were shot down and three more probably destroyed. The rest fled. Intense antiaircraft fire shot down three of our bombers and damaged others. “One of our fighter patrols on the previous day reports having shot down six enemy fighters and probably destroyed a seventh.” The planes shot down on Sunday were part of a force of 15 to 20 Japanese fighters which apparently tried to intercept our reconnaissance aircraft, says an Australian war correspondent in New Guinea. “It was the early discovery of the enemy concentration of planes and shipping that enabled the Allied blow to be launched before they could be put into use against us,” he said. “The attack started with waves of Liberators which demoralised the enemy with accurate high-level bombing. Fires were already raging when Mitchell medium bombers came in to follow up the advantage of surprise and there was chaos on the ground. Then almost every minute fresh waves of bombers swept down on Wewak itself and on the Boram, Dagua and But airfields, blowing grounded aircraft to bits and leaving the area a mass of smoking, twisted ruins.

“Meanwhile, other waves of Mitchells turned on shipping in the harbour. Apparently not a ship escaped our searing attack. After unloading their bombs, the Mitchells fired 160,000 rounds of ammunition, raking everything that was left afloat. Pilots said the whole harbour appeared to be ablaze or under a suffocating pall of oil fumes and smoke.