JAPS SEALED OFF

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 29, 3 February 1945, Page 6

JAPS SEALED OFF

SOUTH LUZON UNITS Reconnaissance In Force Became Full-Scale Invasion N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Kec. 2.30. WASHINGTON, Feb. 2. The latest United States landing at Nasugbu Bay, in the valley leading xip to the high ground which is topped by the Tagaitai Ridge, virtually gives General Mac Arthur's forces control of the narrow coastal plain between the southern coast of Manila Bay and Lake Taal—a fantastic spot where one volcano crater lies within another —and constitutes another barrier to any possible Japanese attempt to join their forces in South Luzon with those which are bitterly resisting the Americans on the north-eastern section of our Lingayen salient in the direction of Baguio. This fact is underlined by communiques in reference to the sealing off of the Japanese to the south of Manila. "AVhere Will Japs Fight?" Lieutenant-General E. I. Chelberger told the Associated Press correspondent on Luzon: "The Japanese generals must have gone crazy. We hit them on Mindoro and dared them to light. We landed at Lingayen and gave them another chance. Then we hit them at Subic Bay. Now. we come .in from Batangas, 67 miles from Manila, and certainly a prime defence area. Where in the hell are they going to fight?" Tokyo radio stated that the main Japanese forces on Luzon had not yet appeared. When and where they will launch their counter-offen-sive is unknown. The radio said that General Mac Arthur was holding in reserve a great number of troops, especially airborne units.