Evening star., 1942-03-16
II Jap Bombers Roid Darwin
In Fourth Air Attack Of Wor;
Allies Smash at Invasion Bases
American Submarines
Reported to Have
Begun Offensive

Dy the Associated Press.
CANBERRA, Australia, March
i6-Fourteen Japanese bombers
smashed at Darwin today, sub
1ecting that north coast port to
It's fourth air attack since war
swept to the Southwest Pacific.
Early reports of the raid said
some damage resulted and there
were casualties, but details were
lacking.
Darwin, a potential naval base
for the Allied nations, was mass
raided by more than 100 Japanese
bombing and fighting planes for the
first time February 10. Many casu-
aities and some military damage re-
suited and q civilian evacuation was
ordered. -.
The Japanese carried out lesser
raids the following day and on
March T.. !-. ....
Allies Strike Return Blows.
Australian and American airmen
struck. return blows today at jap
anese invasion bases, including Dill
in Portuguese Timor, q possible
springboard for the attacks on
Darwin. $685..
Heavy American bombers were
reported to have participated in
broad offensive sweeps by the Royal
Australian Air Force, during which,
the Air Ministry said, attacks were
made yesterday on Japanese air.
drome at Dill and on invasion bases
at Rabaul and Gasmata, New
Britain.
Complementing these air blows
was the announcement that a
United Nations submarine had sunk
$4,000 tons of Japanese shipping In
a 15,Oo0-mile foray through Indone-
sian, Philippine and Malayan
waters.
The nationality of the submarine,
which docked safely at Perth after
surviving several attacks with depth
charges and aerial bombs during its
60-day voyage, was not disclosed.
Sub Offensive Reported.
Reports were published here, how
ever, that the United States was
launching an offensive against jap
anese overseas communications with
q vast fleet Of submarines forming
the spearhead OF the attack. No
authority was given for the reports.
Newspapers, meanwhile, warned
that. the battle for Australia was
moving rapidly toward a climax and
cited reports that the Japanese we're
sending troops out of China, pre-
s,1mably to strengthen forces
gathering for an Australian invasion.
Observers said Allied bombers
were helping the Australian air
force step up its assaults on poteri-
tial invasion bases, but they sug-.
gested the need for getting further
reinfereements quickly was the chief
motive behind the address which
Prime Minister John Curtin broad
cast to the people Of the United
States Saturday, when he asserted
the fall Of Australia would open the
way for an attack on the American
West Coast.
Heavy Damage at Dill. :.
The official announcement of the
raid on the Japanese airdrome at
Dill, about 450 miles northwest of
Port Darwin, indicated that ex-
tensive damage had been done.
"All bombs fell In the target area"
said conmunique. h.
(The Japanese announced Feb
ruary 40 that their troops had
landed on Portuguese Timor to
oust Australian and Dutch troops
dispatched there last December.
The Australians have reported,
bombing attacks on Japanese
shipping off Dill and Koepang,
capital of the Dutch half of the
island, but have made no pre-
vious mention of the establish
n1ent of an enemy air base at
Dii.)
At Rabaul and Gasmata, American
and Australian raiders, dodging
through fierce anti-aircrsft fire, were
said to have plastered runways,
hangars and grounded Japanese air
planes with bombs in daring low
altitude attacks. These bases, which
help the Japanese control the vital
waterway leading southwark be-
tween New Guinea and New Brit
ain, are some 800 miles from the
Australian mainland.
Dispatches from Port Moresby,
strategic port on the south coast
(See AUSTRALIA, Page A-3) ]