AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 October 1943, Page 3

AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS

HEAVY JAPANESE LOSSES IN SOUTH AND SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC. ACHIEVEMENTS OF ALLIED BOMBERS. (Special Australian Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 20. The Allied air forces in the South and South-West Pacific have destroyed or damaged 450 Japanese aircraft in seven days. This sustained, smashing Allied blow began last Tuesday, when 177 Japanese planes were destroyed or damaged at Rabaul. The latest reported raid, made on Monday, when General MacArthur’s Mitchell medium bombers again swept over the Rabaul area in broad daylight, has brought the total of Japanese losses there during the past week to 125 ships sunk or damaged and 243 planes destroyed or damaged. ATTACK ON RABAUL ENEMY LOSSES INCLUDE DESTROYER. LARGE TRANSPORT LEFT SINKING OFF NEW IRELAND. SYDNEY. October 20. A communique issued from General MacArthur’s headquarters shows that in the latest Allied attack on Rabaul the enemy suffered losses in addition to those reported yesterday. The communique states: —“A strong force of our medium units in adverse weather and without fighter protection, executed a low-altitude bombing and strafing attack on enemy aerodromes and shipping. I “A destroyer, a gunboat, and a 6000ton cargo ship were sunk, a corvette was set on fire, and another 6000-ton cargo ship was damaged and possibly sunk in a series of attacks at mast height. “At the Papopo and Tobera aerodromes 36 enemy planes were destroyed on the ground, fuel dumps were set on fire, and anti-aircraft positions were silenced. “Intercepted after leaving the target area by 60 fighters, our bombers shot down 24 and a further probable six of the enemy. We lost three planes.” Near Kavieng, New Ireland, one of Admiral Halsey’s heavy bombers scored a direct hit on an 8000-ton enemy transport packed with troops, and the vessel was left on fire and sinking. Another heavy bomber damaged two 1000-ton enemy cargo vessels off New Hanover. NEW GUINEA FIGHTING LOCAL JAPANESE GAIN. SYDNEY. October 20. In the Finschhafen area of New Guinea, Allied troops of an A.I.F. division have wiped out the last of the Japanese troop reinforcements which were landed from barges at the mouth of the Song River early in the week. More than 60 dead have been counted. Fighting continues in the area, and the Australians have been forced to give some ground near Kitika, where the enemy is in considerable strength.