ALL ATTACKS REPULSED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23512, 15 December 1941, Page 5

ALL ATTACKS REPULSED

Fighting In Philippines

ENEMY AIR RAIDS CONTINUE

(Received December 14, 11 p.m.)

WASHINGTON. December 13,

The fighting in the Philippines on Friday is described in a War Department communique, which states that : Japanese air activity continued j throughout the day. with raids on the ‘Manila area and Davao. Attempted i Japanese landings on the island of [Luzon were repulsed south of Vigan and north of San Fernando, and at J Lingayen. . Operations of enemy parachutists ! were reported at Tugucgaro and Hagan, in the extreme north and nort'n'west of Luzon. Some enemy troops landed in the vicinity of Legaspi, in the extreme south of Luzon. Previous reports of an enemy naval concentration west of Amberles Province on Lie west coast of Luzon arc confirmed. The officer commanding the United States forces in the Philippines, aci cording to an American broadcast, 1 stated that mopping up operations in 1 the Lingayen area of Luzon have been completed. The Japanese have made Do new gains on the landing bridgehead they have established, and no new landings have been carried out. An official communique from Manila states that the Japanese landing forces which gained a foothold at Lingayen. 100 miles from Manila, have been wiped out. Another communique from Washington says that Japanese aircraft bombed Cebu and Clark Field, in the Philippines. Ttie enemy’s plan is now clearly revealed, as an attempt to gain improvised air bases outside the area held by the United States ground defences. In the raid on Clark Field 12 enemy aircraft were shot down by the antiaircraft defences.

There were several air raid alerts last night, and Manila had two alarms. Fifth columnists in the city started red flares during the black-out. Sentries searching for traitors have been ordered to shoot to kill. Five hundred Axis subjects have been arrested following the discovery of a secret radio transmitter in the possession of German nationals. The Commander-in-Chief of the United States Asiatic Fleet (Admiral Thomas C. Hart) reports that the Japanese battle fleet fled when the Asiatic Fleet approached. One Japanese battleship was definitely bombed and "Was seen to be out of control. The Japanese fleet was contacted a considerable distance off Manila. The enemy sheered off, avoiding battle. Admiral Hart said that he had riot ft received a report of the activities the United States submarines, but added that “when the news comes ■hould be big news.” Admiral Hart also renorted that Japanese bombers made a heavy attack on ftp Cavite naval base in Manila Bay, causing extensive fires and great dam-

age to small ships and the navy yard. One bomb hit a dispensary, killing everyone inside, including all the doctors and nurses. Eleven aeroplanes were shot down. A United States Army communique reports (he destruction of 27 Japanese aeroplanes. An American Army pilot, single-handed, accounted for 14 Japanese aeroplanes, shooting down two and •destroying 12 on the ground at Aparri. It is reported that during the initial raid on Manila a ship carrying 470 passengers, mostly women and children, was bombed in the outer harbour. Some pas-engers were wounded, but no one was killed, Captiun Colin Kelly, aged 2(5, of the United States Army, is America's first hem of ’.lie war. He gave his life in diving close in over the Japanese battleship Haruna and scoring the fatal hit.