Evening star., 1944-04-20
Allies Attack Netherlands Indies
With Planes BattIeships> Cruisers
In First Blow at Islands Since AZ
Big Fires Started
At Sobong, Off
Tip Of Sumotru
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SOUTHEAST ASIA HEAD
QUARTERS, Handy, Ceylon
April 20.-A powerful Allied fleet
of aircraft carriers, battleships
cruisers. destroyers and Subma-
rines has delivered the first air.
sea blow against Japanese-held
Netherlands Indies since the fall
of the islands in March, 1912, it
was announced today.
The attack was made at dawn
yesterday and came just four days
after Admiral Lord Louis Mount
batten had shifted his operational
headquarters to Ceylon from New
Delhi.
Allied bombers and fighters took
of from the carriers somewhere
in the Indian Ocean and carried
out surprise raid on Sabang
and Lhonga airfields of Northern
Sumatra.
Heavy Bombs Used.
A communique said heavy bombs
were used and fighter escorts strafed
the ground targets.
Can earlier admiralty COM
munique, issued in London, spoke
of an attack only by naval
force" indicating bombardment
of Sumatra by surface vessels,
but the Southeast Asia Com
mand's communique spoke only
of air bombardment.)
Sabang is a little island just of
the northeastern tip of Sumatra
less than 1000 miles from Admiral
Mountbatten's Ceylon headquarters
and has an important harbor which
the Japanese have been using for
sea operations toward the west.
Lhonga is a few miles away on the
mainland tip.
Yesterdays attack on Sabang was
the second made on that island
since its fall, planes from a Royal
Naval Force having raided it heavily
In December, 1912.
With the expedition directed by
Admiral Sir James Somerville, COM
mander in chief of the British
Eastern Fleet, the aircraft scored
numerous direct hits with heavy
bombs on the dock yard, power sta
tion, wharf, barracks, hangers,
workshops and radio station at Sa-
bang, on the northern tip of Su-
matra, leaving large fires blazing in
the area.
Two Merchant Ships Hit.
The aircraft also scored hits on
two japanese merchant ships, each
Of 1000 to 5000 tons, while two
enemy destroyer escort vessels were
shot up and set afire. Twenty-Five
Japanese planes, including six large
transports, were destroyed aground
at Sabang.
Several japanese planes also were
destroyed on the Lhonga airfeld.
One Allied plane was forced to
land at sea, but the pilot was
dramatically saved by a submarine
which rescued him under shore bat
terry fire. All other planes returned
to the carriers.
Despite intense light-caliber, anti
aircraft fire, the Allied bombers reg
1stered a direct hit on an oil tank
at Sabang with a 1,0O0-pound bomb,
starting fierce fire from which
smoke rose to 1000 feet.
Jap Torpedo Bombers Downed.
Fighters which escorted the bomb
ers shot down three japanese tor
pedo bombers which approached the
fleet after the raids.
(The Toxic radio said Premier
Hideki TOTO held a conference
with his vice ministers this morn
ing and that they focused their
attention on problems requiring
immediate attention" The broad
cast was recorded by United
States Government monitors)
Admiral Somerville has been Itch
ing for action such as the Sumatra
raids for many months, but priori-
ties in other theaters have confined
what there was of his fleet mainly
to defensive operations.
The Sumatra raids indicated Ad-
miral Somerville at last had suf-
flcient strength at least for hit-run
smashes.
Increase in Jap Activity.
Recently Air Chief Marshal Sir
Richard Pierse, Admiral Mountbat-
tens air commander, told the Raj
and RCAF men in speech at Co.
lombo that "the enemy is increasing
activity in the Indian Ocean and
the Bay of Bengal. We soon will
have plenty to do"