AIR ATTACKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25021, 15 September 1942, Page 5

AIR ATTACKS

SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC ENEMY SHIPS BOMBED LULL IN NEW GUINEA (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent.' (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 14. Allied airmen in the south-west Pacific have again struck heavily against the Japanese. As well as attacking m the New Guinea they have bombed enemy shipping at a point in the arc of islands north of Australia.

Medium bombers dropped'l7 tons of high explosives in two raids on the aerodrome at Lae on Sunday. Two Japanese heavy bombers were destroyed or. the ground and fires were started. The enemy base at Salamaua was alse. bombed. Some observers believe that reinforcements'for the Japanese ground troops driving over the Owen Stanley Range came overland from these bases. In the New Britain area Flying Fortresses attacked a Japanese cruiser off the south-east coast. The cruiser was accompanied by a destroyer. Low ceiling and scattered clouds made observation of the results of the bombing impossible. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered, but all our planes returned. Three enemy cargo ships were attacked at two points in the island group south of Dutch New Guinea, and at least one was destroyed. Two ships bombed off Tenimber by Australian Hudsons were officially described as small. The stern of one vessel was blown off by a direct hit, and the second vessel was raked with machine-gun fire. Off Kei Island an Allied reconnaissance unit bombed a heavy cargo ship with unkown results Patrol activity continued in the Owen Stanley Ranges, where the position is reported to be unchanged. For the third successive day it was announced that the enemy made no further progress following his rapid drive from Kokoda over the mountain pass. War correspondents attach no special significance to the present lull, which is regarded merely as a pause in the continuing series of operations. The weight of the recent Allied air offensive against the enemy’s North New Guinea bases is regarded as an indication that the Allies are determined to shorten the Japanese chances of securing air support for their land drive against Port Moresby. WOUNDED AUSTRALIANS RETURN FROM MILNE BAY GRAPHIC STORIES OF FIGHTING (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust, Correspondent) (Rec. 1.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 14. Wounded Allied soldiers who took part in the battle of Milne Bay have arrived at an Australian port by a hospital ship. They told graphic stories of the victory when Japanese .landing troops were taken by surprise. The locality in which the enemy landed was held mainly by Queensland troops. A corporal said this unit made a magnificent stand and inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese. They delayed the enemy until strong Allied reinforcements moved into position. One Australian patrol of 14 men wiped out 100 of a group of Japanese marching down a road. The early success of this patrol had a stimulating effect on the morale of the defending troops. The Japanese usually stayed fairly quiet during the day. but made heavy attacks at night. “They gave themselves away by making a lot of noise,” said one man. “Apparently they thought they would frighten us with the row. Their camouflage was excellent, and they would scale trees like monkeys to fire from the' cover of branches. Our aircraft did a great job and certainly heartened the troops. One wounded soldier was stabbed in the back by a stalking Japanese. He turned and caught his opponent by the throat and throttled him. ‘Unarmed combat training came in handy that time,’ ” he remarked drily. The returned men claimed that they defeated the enemy in his own type of war. Though the Japanese was a tough opponent he could be beaten. “I still think one Australian or American is as good as four Japanese,” declared one soldier.