The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-04-30
Amboina Target of
Allied Bombing
Planes

fBy International News Service)
The world today eagerly watch
ed news of racing climactic bat
ties all along the Tunisian front
as word from the Pacific war thea.
ter told Of new blows against Hit
ler's oriental war partner.
Amboina, second largest Neither
lands East Indies naval base, now
in Japanese hands, was the latest
target of Allied. bombing planes.
Here a formation OF heavy
l-bombers hurled tons OF high ex-
plosive and incendiary bombs
down on the enemy seaplane base.
blasting and setting ablaze bar
racks. hangers and other military
installations. The bombs undoubt-
eddy caused heavy casualties among
the enemy garrison's personnel.
Fifteen zero fighter planes were
sent M by the Japs TO intercept
the Allied attacking force. but our
bombers went right ahead with
their deadly work With one
hand. so to speak. they fought off
the zeros.. knocking two out of
action and damaging a third. Their
mission completed. all our planes
then returned safely.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur's com
muniaue describing the Amboina
attack also told of assaults by our
planes on other enemy bases in
the South Pacific. A flight of me
dium bombers started many Tires
at Kupang. on Timor, and in sing
le sorties continued their daily as
saults on Finschafen and other Jap
bases on New Guinea and vicinity.
The South Pacific communique
came on the heels OF disclosure
Of the devastating air assaults on
Jap outpost air bases at Nauru'
$50 miles northeast Of Guadalcan-
al. and Tarawa Island in the Gil
bert group, both along the Al
lied supply lire to Australia, and
OF rev raids on Attu. the enemy's
gateway TO the Aleutians. The
assault on Nauru left important
phosphate-condensing plants badly
battered. Fuel and munition stor-
age and supply areas were heavily
blasted on both Nauru and Tarawa.
In Tunisia. Axis armies further
intensified their desperate attempts
TO stay the relentless advance Of
Allied forces. Observers said the
enemy's failure to make any sub
stantial Withdrawals at any point
indicated a fight to the finish from
here on.
The violence Of the fighting east
o. Medjezelbab. where the British
wer, momentarily held in check
Wednesday. appeared to lend Gre
Gence to the "last-stand' suppos-
ition.
French units at the extreme
northern front. between Cap Ser
rat and Bizerte. seized more high
ground and inflicted serious loss
es on enemy troops, although the
latter were supported by tanks.
To the south, Americans OF the
L. $. End Army Corps gained foot
holds on more strategic hills 10
miles west Of Mateur. junction of
roads leading to both Bizerte and
Tunis.
Still farther south, American
units fought bitter counter-attacks
by Axis troops trying to hold the
crest OF a hill overlooking a val.
lev near Heidous. London reports
said American artillery was plas-
tering Axis roads in this area
leading to Mateur.
Annihilate Company
In Russia. Soviet artillery last
night annihilated a German infan-
Try company west OF Rostoy. on
the southern front. and wiped out
seven Nazi blockhouses.
The Soviets also inflicted high
casualties on the enemy in other
sectors OF the same front and
blCodily repulsed Nazi attacks oil
the central front. in the western
Ukraine and on Tie northern front
near LenlRgrad