The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-03-27

Continued from Page -
by defense forces. There was no
damage and no casualties.
The plane was shot down by two
Allied fighters.
Military Board Abolished
Army Minister Forde announced
In one Of the first unihcation
moves, that the Australian military
board had been abolished and that
heads Of the fighting services would
become principal stan officers under
Blamey.
Gen. Sir Leslie Morshead, COM
canding the 9th Australian division
was named Blarney's successor as
commander Of Australians In the
Middle East.
Gen. Blamey, in statement in
assuming his new command, said:
1.-THE Australian imperial force
which has returned In good heart,
will tremendously stiffen the Aus
tralian forces. There Is no question
regarding the quality OF the Austria
ian soldier and an invader Of Aus
tralia will be up against o still
proposition.
I'VE must strike hard as soon as
we can. Australians must be pre-
pared for every eventuality OF an
invasion as fast as we can. We must
accept the danger Of invasion and
use every ounce We have TO prepare
to meet IT,"
Parliament AdjOurnS
Parliament adjourned until April
20 to give the government q clear
track IN dealing with important I'D.
ministrative problems IN connection
with MacArthur's assumption Of the
supreme command.
The government promised to con.
woke II II an urgent situation arose.
Prime Minister Curtin, also re-
vealed that Allied war planes had
first reconnoitered Koepang We'd
nesday, picking the best targets at
which bomber command pilots could
strike.
The big bombing planes, believed
to include flying fortreSses, set out
from their secret northern bases
yesterday and, crossing the 500 miles
Of the Timor sea off the northwest
coast Of the continent, struck heav-
lily at Koepang, one Of the most dam
gerous Of the enemy's invasion bases
on the Australian Island fringe.
They attacked shipping In the
harbor and other targets believed TO
include the airdrome and other In
stallat!ons.
Weather Conditions Bad
Prime Minister Curtin, In his
communique, admitted that weather
conditions were extremely bad and
heavy clouds hampered both bomb
sighters and observance Of results.
But 1t was indicated that the al.
lied forces had struck another heavy
blow at the Japanese at the cost Of
one plane which failed to return. >.
Curtin announced that the pilot
OF an airplane which had been miss
Ing after operations over New
Guinea had returned the United
Nations forces.
Most Modern Planes
At the same time o United Press
dispatch from Port Moresby, New
Guinea, revealed that American and
Australian pilotg there were using
the fastest and most modern United
States fighter planes.
These planes, the dispatch said,
took part In the blazing operations
Of last week end when the Japanese
lost some 30 planes destroyed or
hopelessly damaged.
Ovehr Lac alone on Sunday, the
dispatch said, the American planes
Shutdown at least IL Japanese planes
and destroyed two on the ground, In
addition to shooting down two giant
Japanese bombing planes In flames
In other New Guinea operations.
Many pilots Of the New Guinea
contingent have served In other areas
overseas and have good bags OF Ger
man planes, the dispatch said. The
successes Of the pilots and the
United States planes had done much
TO stiffen morale and build up con-
fidence at the Port Moresby outpost
off the northeast Australian coast,
where, the dispatch commented, air
power and ability to hit hard might