Salt Lake Telegram | 1943-09-24 | Page 5 | Local News

The revealed the thrust up the New Guinea coast more than 60 miles beyond Lac Lae was followed by a minute 25 air battle in which American fighters shot down 40 to 45 planes of an enemy fleet of 50 to 70 attacking the convoy The ships came through safely The reduction of followed followed followed fol fol- lowed the pattern of the conquest of Lae and where the I said the bodies of Japanese troops had been found with the count of the enemy fosses losses still incomplete Six hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred more enemy troops were be being being being be- be ing hunted in the hills around Lae Enemy opposition that might have come from irom New Britain 70 miles northward across Dampier strait was checked by a 73 ton 73 ton raid by Liberators an and Mitchells lasting four hours during the landing landing landing land land- ing operations Other units hit at near-by near New Britain Three Planes Downed The enemy sent over an air fleet of 20 to 30 bombers and 30 to 40 fighters after the convoy started home Three allied planes were lost in the battle but one pilot was saved The which reported report report- ed five small air raids enemy over I Ithe the past several days in New Guinea and the Solomons said that 23 other enemy planes were destroyed destroyed destroyed de de- or damaged in widespread actions throughout the southern Pacific area