Imperial Valley press., 1942-03-31
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CANBERRA. Australia, March
|31-UPj-Japan's invasion bases
In New Guinea were reported set
| Ablaze today by the bombs of Amer
Jean and Australian planes that
have knocked out an estimated 30
{enemy Warships, so transports and
200 airplanes in the southwest Pa
kcific since the war began.
4 Australian Prime Minister John
ECurtin announced that the U. S
#and Australian planes, in a new
/ offensive against the japanese
bases off Australia's northern flank
destroyed hangers and runWayS of
the airdrome at lac on the New
Guinea coast yesterday.
PLANES DESTROYED
Other Australian airmsn struck
at the Japanese base at Koepang
on the Dutch island of Timor,
where six japanese planes on the
ground were believed to have beer
destroyed without loss to the at
tackers an official announcement
said
The new successes CT the allied
airmen, who have gained aerial
superiority over New Guinea and
New Britain according to an an
nouncement yesterday, added to a
rapidly rising toll of japanese i'll
vasion ships naval vessels and
planes in the struggle at the gate
way to the united nations last base
In the far Pacific
Developments in the struggle to-
day included:
l. The attack on Lac airdrome
by the allied planes, believed tc in
clude flying fortreSses, which struck
through bad weather and dropped
their bombs from 26.0 900 feet
WARSHIPS DAlTAGED
2. An estimate by Col. Eugene
L. Eubank, who commanded the
American bomber forces in the
Philippines and Java campaigns,
that his planes had destroyed or
badly damaged 16 japanese war
ships and 46 transports up to March
l. He said U S. bombers definitely
had destroyed SO japanese fight
ers.
3. Other estimates of f3 Japa
5nese ships-including at least IA
warships-damaged in the islands
north of Australia. as reported in
Australian statements before and
since March l, raising the total to
about 80 Warships, so transports
and probably 200 planes. although
some of the damaged ships may
have been attacked more than once.
MACARTHUR 81 'REME
4. Premier Curtin gave a formal
pledge at Melbourne that neither
1.-THE Australian government nor the
parliament would interfere or
E"cver ride the decisions of Gen.
kCouglaS MacArthur's supreme com
@mand of the war in the southwest
EPacific.
81 5. japanese forces still were re
ported falling back northWard upea
Lac, to escape flood waters pour
ing down the Markham valley.
E Curtin described yesterdays aer-
E1al attack on Lac as one of the
EmOst successful # the repeated at
tacks On the enemy invasion base.
He said that in yesterdays raid
on Darwin seven enemy bombers
dropped between 25 and 30 bombs
in a single run over an airdrome
and that no casualties or damage
had beo.l reported. One allied plane
Awas lost in a dog fight, he said,
ybut the crews were believed safe.
RAINS CONTINUE
Allied planes believed tc include
flying fortreSSeS, succeeded III raid
\ing the chief japanese base in the
IAustralian defense zone despite
rains which had driven the Japa
nese back from the Markham valley
and the challenge of japanese
fighter craft.
Melbourne'S 1.050000 residents
carried cut their first practice air
raid alert today with conspicuous
success.
Alarms were sounded without
warning but within 80 seconds the
crowded streets had been cleared
by the tin hated, gas masked air
raid precautions corps, including
pretty WardenS.
Street crowds went TO designated
shelters and office workers to base
ments. Emergency policemen aid
ed regular policemen in halting
traffic and lining it at SideWalka
TEST SUCCESSFUL
After the l5-minute alert period,
WardenS said that the test was
much more of a success than the
preceding che, of which advance
notice was given.
In their march into the Mark
ham valley, the Japanese had
sought new air bases to diSperse
ltheir planes and evade Just such
raids as that today. which had
smashed dozens of their best fight
ers and bombers aground.
New they were back on the Huon
gulf, sheltering from the sheet-like
lrain which had flooded the entire
valley.