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FIERCE AIR B ATTLE
OVER DARWIN
Reverse Suffered By
Spitfires
"The Age" Special Representative-
SOMEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA, Monday— Austra
lian and Royal Air Force Spitfire squadrons suffered
heavy losses in a fierce air battle over Darwin yesterday
morning, when 21 enemy bombers and an escort of 30
fighters rraided the Darwin airfield.
No figures are given- by- the
communique. This is the; first
occasion in which the words "Our
air losses were heavy," have
been used by General MacAr-
thur's head quarters in an
nouncing results of air combats,
and clearly indicates that our..
forces suffered a severe .reverse— '
the first suffered by the Spit
fires since their presence at Dar-;-
win was announced by the-
Prime Minister (Mr. Curtin)
early in March.
It is officially announced that
possibly several pilots have been
rescued. The Japanese losses
were three fighters certainly de
stroyed, one bomber and nine
fighters damaged. -However, as
on their return the Japanese, air
craft would have a -long- sea
flight, it is- likely- -thatf-:' at-least-
a proportion of the damaged
machines would fail to reach
their bases. They , did little
damage to ground installations,
and though details : of the air,
battle are lacking it is inferred
that our interception succeeded
in deflecting the bombers from
their target. They came in at
.28,000; feet, and our anti-aircraft
.-batteries . apparently kept them
at -a- great-. height.
The Spitfires have been in 7 ac
tion -at Darwin on three occa--
slons,- including once when, they
shot - down a single enemy recon
naissance plane. : They . fought
their-., -first big battle on - March
2,'iiwhen they shot'. down1 .six .out
of fifteen Japanese fighters with
out loss to themselves; On. March
14f when 25 Japanese bombers
and a, similar escort of fighters
raided . Darwin, , they (iestroyed
six .fighters -and one bomber;' nnd
"dahihge-d-twelve "dtlier -machines,
for the loss of four, the pilots of
two of which were saved.
Speculation on Losses
Yesterday's was the first big
Japanese raid in the South-west
Pacific area since that on April
14 at Milne Bay. Speculation
as to why our air losses on this
uixusiun were so jjeavy iiiuiuuL-a
the possibility that the Japanese
fighter machines were flown on
this occasion by first-class army
pilots, who, from time to time,
have been reported in this area.
Losses among first-line army
pilots may not have been sp
heavy, and it., is possible that a
large force of these was concen
trated for yesterday's raid fol
lowing the series of our out
standing successes -in actual air
combat when Japanese ' losses
have been extraordinarily high
compared with our own. Clearly
the circumstances of yesterday's
raid were very different, and
some factor entered into the
combat which is not yet appa
rent from the reports.
The bases from which the
raiders came to Darwin have not
been announced, but it is pro-
bably significant that last night
Dutch-manned Mitchell bombers
raided Penfoei aerodrome, at
Kocpang, which is less than 500
miles -from Darwin, and within
range of Zeros fitted with extra
fuel tanks. Main Japanese bases
in this sector are Kendari, in the
Celebes' (850 miles) and Lalia.
Amboina (625 miles) by . airline.
At Kendari recently many
tighter pfanes ' deployed were
spotted by.: our. reconnaissance,
aircraft.
- The communique to-day re
cords on -attack by Dutch-
manned - - -Mitchells on a small
cargo ship off Toeal, Kat Is
lands. Manoeuvring to escape
them,- the ship ran on to a
reef.
A Flying Fortress on recon
naissance was attacked by seven
Zeros over Gasmata, but dam
aged two and drove the remain
der off long enough to escape In-
a rain soiiall. - - '
Bostons attacking lndividuailj
made many stiaflng and bombing
l uns at Green s Hill Mubo in
up roil of oui ground patiols
The ground crew of a Royal Air Force squadron loading ammunition into the wing and checking over a Spitfire alanAustralianba.se. Spitfires were in action for the. second lime against Japanese fighters and bombers dur- Help
The ground crew of a Royal Air Force squadron loading
ammunition into the wing and checking over a Spitfire
alanAustralianba.se. Spitfires were in action for the.
second lime against Japanese fighters and bombers dur-
ing a large-scale raid on Darwin last Sunday. — Dept. of
Information photograph.
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