28 Apr 1942
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 19 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Canberra Times
Location
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Date
Apr 28, 1942
Page
1
The report notes intensified Japanese activity near New Guinea and Port Moresby after weeks of inactivity. Officials warn of a possible major offensive, with plans for a large bomber and fighter force to strike Allied positions as air and naval operations continue in the region.
Allied HQ reports a large air battle in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Ten enemy planes were shot down on the Lae airfield, with allied forces destroying three more on the ground. Nine bombers attacked Port Moresby but were repelled. Further raids targeted Bougainville and Corregidor with light damage reported.
Ordinary seaman Archibald of Brabant recounts HMAS Yarra’s last battle near Brisbanes area on arch 4 as eight enemy ships closed in. The cruiser was surrounded by four Japanese destroyers and three cruisers. Crew abandoned ship after a smoke screen failed. Archibald survived in a lifeboat, later reaching safety.
Prime Minister Drakeford announced a strengthened air defence program for Australia including inland protection and alliance support. Ministers Makin Dedman and Senator Fraser accompanied him after visits to the western states. The plan aims to integrate coastal and inland defenses, with a focus on national unity and allied cooperation. Local anxieties about the coast line as landing spots were noted, but Drakeford emphasized no fixed boundary and pledged ongoing support for the defence effort.
The Japanese governor General Mades, speaking for Britain and the Dutch forces, said 170 wells in Borneo were destroyed before retreat. The Balik Papar area suffered major damage while production was estimated at about 2,000,000 gallons lost or ruined.
Report from Delhi describes British plan to ship weapons machinery and equipment to India for wartime needs. It notes a two year program under discussion to extend existing facilities and erect new ones, with full support from Indian authorities and public sacrifice.
The report quotes Hitler declaring the nation under a new supreme law with no rights, only duties. He emphasizes obedience, the drive for victory, and a total wartime mobilization. His speech warns of brutal repression and aims to crush Britain and Bolshevism, promising all resources to win.
British air ministry reports indicate disastrous results from a raid on German airfields in northern France and adjacent targets. Dornier bombers attacked, with a Junkers aircraft downed, and several enemy sites damaged or destroyed. Casualties and wreckage reported as storms of explosions and fires across the affected zones.
The report describes heavy bomber operations over Germany and occupied territories including Baltic targets at Rostock and Bohemia, with attacks on Calais and Hazebrouck. Allied forces claim successes in disabling German air power, while casualties and damage are noted, including losses of five bombers and widespread anti aircraft activity.
An Australian airman, Flight Officer B C Hands, 30, architect from Perth, described the daylight Augsburg raid on April 19 as the Lancaster crew skimmed hedges and chimney tops to hit the big works. He and pilot Sanda recounted the target, the box seal for the show, and the dramatic moment when the bomb exploded on target.
Note: The given source text is fragmented and incoherent. It mentions Tokyo and new Japanese planes but lacks coherent facts, dates, or events to form a solid summary.
The Times correspondent reports on the Kalinin Front with strained prose, noting Soviet advances and German resistance along the Malla and Lake Upen areas near Novoreud. Finnish and Russian actions are described with inflated casualty figures and disputed victories, while observers doubt the Finns can sustain claimed success. The piece highlights Russian forces drawing manpower from agriculture and fishing while reporting on patrols and bomber activity around Leningrad and Karelia.
A Soviet envoy report quoted by Seria radio via Nichi Nichi Shimbun says Japan must demand the return of the Soviet ambassador who went to Moscow three months ago. The note argues Moscow should seek neutrality under the Russo Japanese Neutrality Pact and urges swift action to restore relations.
A fire yesterday in London destroyed raw cotton valued at £1,280,000 belonging to the British Government. The cotton, part of the Egypt crop purchased by Britain last year, resulted from a spark from a trolley or cart, causing extensive damage to storage and equipment at the warehouse.
London reports Burma situation worsened as Japanese cut the Lollem to Thal road and threaten Mandalay Lashio. Allied forces push from Myitkyina toward Taunggyi as battles rage along the front. Evacuation of Mandalay population noted as city under strain and China and British lines brace for further moves.
A fire in the smoke stack of a freighter, five minutes before an attack, made the ship an easy target for a submarine. Crewmembers say the incident occurred as British submarines attacked enemy vessels in the Mediterranean, with further operations reported by the Admiralty.
SpNDOe reports that 1090 Bulgarian and one man desert from German forces join General Mikha ilievitch’s Yugoslav guerrillas under Denkviteh near Barajevo. Sources say Mikha ilievitch has many sympathizers. Albanian and Bulgarian units mount operations against German and Italian forces as Yugoslav patriots adapt to shifting fronts.
The New York Times reports American troops arriving at New Caledonia likely to indicate Laval’s axis is threatened and a major offensive from the Pacific theater may be near. The Solomon Islands to the Solomons and surrounding areas are now blocked by Allied forces as MacArthur signals a forthcoming elbow offensive from the New Caledonia area.
London reports a formal protest from the Vichy regime over the occupation of New Caledonia. The notice asserts that the United States and allied actions do not justify French surrender or the loss of colonial possessions. The statement touches on neutrality and sovereign rights amid wartime tensions without endorsing or condemning specific actors.
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