Evening star., 1942-10-11

40 Tons Of Bombs Droppe'
In Roid; Whole Area
Covered by Smoke
By the Associated Press.
GEN. MacARTHUR's HEAD
QUARTERS, Australia, Sunday. ocr
11.-For the second night in success
sion Allied heavy bombers carrie,
out mass attacks on the Japanes
supply base at Rabaul, New Britain
dropping 40 tons Of explosive and in
cendiary bombs which set fires visibl
Tor 90 miles, a communique sal,
today.
Airmen of Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur's command unloaded rs ton
OF bombs on Rabaul and Japanes,
bases in New Guinea the previou
night, giving emphasis to Secretar,
OF the Navy Knox's declaration tha
the Allies are on the offensive in tn,
Pacific.
Last nights raid was preceded by
preliminary incendiary raid by .
strong formation of medium bomb
ers. which scattered both explosive
and fire bombs over the town ano
hafbor, starting many fires to light
up the area for the big bombers.
The whole Rabaul area was COW
cred by clouds of smoke which made
visibility difficult, but fires and ex-
plosions were observed along the
waterfront and among wharves
buildings and workshops. One ship
IN the harbor apparently was hit
and left smoking.
No Allied planes were lost,
Lose Contact Again.
In New Guinea, the communique
sald, Australian jungle troops push
Ing through the rugged Owen STAN
ley Mountains had again lost con-
tact with the japanese forces
which apparently were continuing
to withdraw down the northern
slope of the mountains under a
downpour of rain.
The previous days communlque
had stated that contact had been
established after the speedy two
week retreat Of the japanese
through the mile-high gap in the
Owen Stanley range.
Allied airmen, meanwhile, con-
tinued to strafe the winding track
leading down from the mountains
along the line OF retreat through
Kokoda.
The communique said two forma-
tions of medium bombers took part
in these attacks, scoring direct hits
on a number of targets and start
ing fires. They met no opposition,
1t was said.
Medium bombers also raided Dill,
IN Portuguese Timor north of Aus
tralia, attacking the part of the
town occupied by the japanese
Several fires were started.
The raid on Rabaul Friday night
was the largest assault yet at
tempted in the Southwest Pacific.
the raiders loosing 60 tons of high
explosive and fire bombs on Rabaul
itself. Lac. fn New Guinea, came
In for l6-ton attack.
ordination Praised.
A headquarters spokesman called
Friday nights Rabaul raid one of
the finest examples of coordination
ever put on in this part of the
Pacific.
At two-minute~ intervals the big
bombers came in over the target,
which has served as the main traffic
junction for shipping and airplanes
used by the japanese against New
Guinea, the Solomons and Australia.
For the first time the town itself
drew the full force of Allied at
tackers. Heretofore they had CEN
tered on the harbor area, allowing
the enemy to build up large stocks
Of war materials in Rabaul
When the bomber pilots got the
green light to go after these sup
plies they did it in a big way. They
let so with more than 100000 pounds
of explosives alone, filling out the
rest of their cargoeS with fire bombs
Even before the Flying Fortrosses
arrived, Catalina flying boats which
preceded them had set fires that
sent towering flames skyward.
Washingtonian on Flight.
A bomber group commanded by
1t Col. Richard Carmichael of
Olean, N. Y. was the first to arrive
and the last to leave. 1t circled over
at a high altitude and had a
grandstand view of the entire show
Il was flying my ship with Col
Fred Smith of Washington. D. c.
riding in the nose and watched the
entire attack from the first flare
until the final raider turned for
home" Carmichael said.
The first ship over dropped
bombs near Lakunai Airdrome. Ack
ack and searchlights frantically
probed for our bombers but their
shell bursts were breaking under
the planes.
"One bomber started a fuel dump
fire which still ragged an hour later
Planes which dropped flares
caused considerable confusion to the
Japanese ack ack aiming. The
flares seemed to blind and mislead
them because they fired many shots
into the flares, not coming any
where close to the bombers.
There we're four big oil fires,
others in the center of town where
stores and supplies are known to
have been concentrated and in the
Chinatown district where the Japs
had troop concentrations
Ack Ack Terrible.
Capt. Jack Thompson of Stigler.
Okla, and his co-pilot, 1t. Bill
Crawford of Niles, Ohio, made
bomb run with five searchlights
trained on them.
Those Ave lights stayed with us,
and the ack ack was terrible but
breaking under U.s." 1t. Crawford
said.
Capt Richard Ezzard of Winter
Garden, Fla, said bombs were drop
ping every minute.