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LONG ALLIED
FLIGHT
1000 Miles For
Koepang Raid
"The Arc" Special Representa
tive.
' SOMEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA,
(Tuesday.— It was announced to
day that the raid by Dutch-
manned Mitchell bombers on the
Penfoei aerodrome, near Koepang,
to Timor, referred to in yester
day's communique from General
MacArthur's head quarters, was
' t _r « nrt-rti'rMnftfrnri n t f-.n rlr nn
koepang by Allied aircraft.
' while the Dutchmen were
tombing the air field and start
ing fires an even greater number
of Australian-manned Hudsons
attacked the town and also started
ores which were visible for 30
miles bv the returning bombers.
-Ilic attacks necessitated a flight
of more than a thousand miles to
Knenang and back.
The extraordinarily long flights
tnade bv our armed reconnais
sance planes operating from New
Guinea bases were again empha
sised by to-day's communique.
Hollandia, 011 Humboldt Bay, well
over the border of Dutch New
Guinea, was visited yesterday
morning by , a lone Liberator
watching the increased activity at
this distant Japanese base, and
; the buildings in the air field
which the enemy are extending
was bombed. .
' From Moresby to Hollandia and
back involves a flight of some
thing like 1500 miles, and from
narwln the distance is even
greater. Even Kavieng is not so
far from Allied air fields as Hol-
''catalinas attacked Wald Bay,
on the coastal road north of
Finschhafen. and also Pinsch-
hafen itself: while a single Libe
rator took time oft from recon
naissance duties to bomb the air
fields at Gasmata and Cape
Gloucester, New Britain.
Victorians in Raid
Flying-Officer J. S. Austin, of
Geelong, who spent an hour over
the target, said he saw bombs
drop In the target area, although
the onlv way he could distinguish
bombs from A. A, was by watch
ing whether the flash on the
ground was followed by a burst
near his plane. Flying-Officer
Austin, who was in the first plane
over the target, dropped a single
bomb on the north-west corner of
penfoei aerodrome before climb
ing to watch other planes come
'"plight-Lieutenant, J. P. Mason,
of Adelaide, who led the flight of
Hudsons. and his observer, Ftying-
Officer J. W. Swan, of Campbell-
town, N.S.W., both saw their own
stick of bombs falling among
buildings in the target area.
Other members of the crew
heaved out large numbers of
small Incendiaries, which all
started small fires.
Flying-Officer V. A. uicxenson,
of Rlppon Lea, Victoria, who
acted as "pathfinder," dropped
a large Incendiary bomb before,
other flights came in at ten -
Iminute Intervals. "The A. A, was
heavy," he said, "and was some-
'thing one would pay a lot of
money to see In peacetime."
Before leaving the area Flying-
Officer Austin saw other medium
bombers drop bombs right along
the runway at Penfoei aerodrome.
A searchlight was also shot out
at the aerodrome. The weather
was perfect for the raid, and all
our planes returned safely::
! Official Report'
I The following communique was
| Issued on Tuesday at General Miic-
I Arthur's head quarters:—.
i NORTH-WESTERN SECTOR.
B1 Tanlmbnr Islands. — Jnmdcna
B| Island: One of our medium units
H. bombed a small enemy coastal ves-
H eel In Selwassa Bny.
Timor.— Koepang: Our medium
bombers attacked the town area
after dusk: starting numerous '. fires
risible for 30 miles. . r. ' :
If Dutch New Guinea.— Hollandia:'
H 'One of our heavy units bombed the
B aerodrome building area..
NORTH-EASTERN SECTOR. ..
K New Britain.— Gnsmnta: One of our
heavy units bombed the aerodrome.
Cape Gloucester: One of our heavy
units bombed the aerodrome.
New Gulnen.— Wald Bay: One of
our medium units bombed and
strafed the building nrca at night.
» nnsennafen: One or our medium
units at night bombed and strafed
the aerodrome and town, causing
fires.
Lap : Ouo of our heavy units
bombed the aerodrome. '
$