Evening star., 1942-02-24
japanese Bombers
Attack Principal
Papuan Coast City
R. A. A. F. Flyers Overcome
Enemy Fighter Planes to
Raid New Brituin
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. "a.
A medium force of Japanese
bombers, accompanied by fight
ers, raided Port Moresby, prin-
cipal coastal city in Papua, New
Guinea, an Air Ministry commu-
nique announced today.
Flying in two waves, the Japanese
planes dropped bombs on various
parts of the city. Some buildings
were damaged, but no vital points
were hit, the communique said
There was no estimate of casual
ties.
Joint Defense Command.
Preparing to fight of a possible
invasion, authorities in New Guinea
have placed defense activities under
joint Dutch command.
Australian air forces are co-op-
Grating in patrolling tens Of thou
sands of square miles of territory
in a gigantic game of hide-and-
seek with the Japanese.
The Australian view is that New
Guinea must be held at all costs,
since 1t is the last real rampant
before Japanese aggression could
reach Australia proper. 1t is also a
vital flanking base safeguarding the
shortest supply route between Aus
tralia and the battle fronts of the
Netherlands Indies.
In the maze of some 1000 islands
in the New Guinea area are good
anchorages for warships and trans
ports, sheltered bases for seaplanes
and excellent fields from which
fighter and bomber planes might op-
crate.
The r. A. A. F. is maintaining
constant patrols, sometimes smash
ing into Japanese supply ships and
beating of fighter attacks.
New Attack on Rabaul.
Overcoming Japanese fighter
: planes which attempted to head
them off, Australian airmen carried
out another attack yesterday on
Rabaul, New Britain Island, bomb
ing airdromes and shipping in the
harbor, the r. A. F. announced.
Semi-omcial sources declared the
raid, which was pressed home just
before dawn in highly unfavorable
weather, was executed by one of
the heaviest formations the Aus
tralians had thus far hurled at
Japanese bases in the Southwest
Pacific.
The Australians lost one plane in
the raid, but shot down one Japa-
. nese fighter and probably destroyed
two others, a communique said.
The Japanese-occupied Rabaul,
which is situated in the Bismarck
archipelago about 800 miles north
east of the tip of Australia, on
January "a.
Allied Shipping Attacked.
Japanese planes were reported to
have attacked Allied shipping in the
sea of Timor yesterday, but the
communique said the results were
uncertain.
Army Minister Francis Forde,
meanwhile, announced that a sweep
. ing inquiry had been ordered into
! all aspects of the two air raids
which the Japanese launched last
week against Darwin, naval station
on Australia's north coast. Fifth
> volumn activities will be inyesti-
! gated.
At Alice Springs, 1000 miles south
of Darwin, the population was re-
ported digging trenches and air.
raid shelters and holding trial
excavations.
Jap Threat Emphasized.
The japanese threat to the coun-
try as whole was emphasized by
1t. Gen. Sir Iven Mckay, command
er of the home forces. Arriving at
Sydney for a defense conference, Sir
Iven declared:
THE japanese have advanced step
, by step and there is every indica-
ton that we are included in the
. plans they have made"
At Sydney also A. w. Coles, chair
man of the War Damage Commits
sion, announced that persons whose
personal property had been de-
stroyed or damaged by enemy action
at Darwin would receive compensa-
ton under the governments war
damage insurance plan.