Evening star., 1942-03-30

Gen. Douglas Macarthur.
generalisSimo of Allied forces
in the Southwest Pacific, and
Gen. Sir Thomas Blamey,
commander of the ground
forces in Australia, met for
the first time today, opening
a series of conferences to map
their strategy.
BY the Associated Press.
MELBOURNE, Australia, March
30.-American and Australian
forces have gained at least tenn
porary air superiority over New
Guinea and New Britain, and
have crippled one tenth of the
entire Japanese cruiser strength.
Air Minister A. S. Drakeford an
nounced today as the invaders
were reported to have made a
27-mile retreat in New Guinea as
the result of floods.
japanese Warplanes continued TO
strike at the outer bastions of Aus
tralia's defenses, however.
Darwin had its eighth raid Of the
war this afternoon. No details OF
the attack were known Immediately
A bomber and three Navy fighters
also struck at Port MoreSby on the
south coast of New Guinea, but
were reported driven off before caus-
ing damage in the towns 22d at
tack.
Japs' Bomber Losses.
Japan's recession from the high
point of her invasion OF Australias
outer islands was marked by Mr..
Drakeford, who declared that in ad-
dition TO her cruiser losses, she had
suffered destruction or probable de-
truction of 48 bombers and fighters
in recent weeks.
military quarters in London
said official Allied reports list
LOIS japanese planes destroyed
since the attack on Pearl Har-
Dor. This would be from fourth
to a sixth of the Japanese air
force
These successes, achieved with
comparatively small forces, are no
longer to be regarded as merely OF
tactical significance. he declared.
They have made marked stra-
tegical difference to the war
Tells of Air Attacks
Claiming air superiority over New
Guinea. Drakeford said the equiva-
lent of two Japanese air squadrons
was destroyed in Allied air attacks
on March 81 ranging from Timor
TO Rabaul in New Britain.
No single operation during the
Malayan campaign had SO destruc-
tive an effect on Japanese power as
the Lac assault, and it is doubtful
if even the attacks launched from
Palembang in Dutch Sumatra were
so devastating to Japanese shipping.
he declared.
Seven japanese transports were
sunk, burned or beached at Lac,
three dc>troyers damaged and nu-
merous smaller craft destroyed
aside from the cruisers-a total OF
% ships lost-he added.
Flatlands Inundated.
Dispatches from Port Moresby.
the New Guinea anchor end OF the
great barrier reef defenses of North
eastern Australia, told of the jap
anese withdrawal in the Markham
Valley.
A downpour inundated the fat
lands along the Markham River
and it's tributaries. where the Jap
anese were attempting TO establish
many subsidiary airflelds, and forced
the japanese to withdraw from most
of the valley, these dispatches said.
AS a result Japan's New Guinea
forces now centered at Lac, Sala-
maua and FinSchhaven on the
coast, where they landed March 8
and succeeding days. Their greatest
penetration of the valley had been
to Nadzab, 27 miles inland.
Moreover, the dispatches said, the
wet season in New Guinea is just
beginning.
AS a result, Japan's painful oc-
cupation of the valley has been
made a fruitless accomplishment.
Cruiser Strength Crippled.
Drakeford said the American
and R. A. A. F. attacks on Lac
March 10 and since have probably
crippled more than 10 per cent OF
the total cruiser strength with which
the japanese entered the war"
(This meant that four or five
cruisers had been destroyed or
put out of action. since Japan
is estimated to have had 40 or
so cruisers to begin with. In
addition, she has lost numerous
cruisers in the Netherlands
| Continued on Page 2-X, Column %