BATTLE NOW UNDER WAY

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 22, 20 October 1944, Page 5

BATTLE NOW UNDER WAY

(Received October 19, 11.25 p.m.) ‘ LONDON, Oct. 19. Tokio radio today states that a strong Allied force began landing operations on an unnamed island in the central Philippines on Tuesday morning. A later broadcast says that an Allied fleet of warships and transports on Tuesday sailed into Leyte Gulf, in the very heart of the central Philippines. Since yesterday afternoon coastal areas have been shelled and bombed. The broadcast claims that Japanese naval and army units are intercepting this force. So far there is no confirmation of these claims from Washington or from Admiral Nimitz’s headquarters. The last statement z by Admiral Nimitz, issued more than 12 hours ago, said that American, carrier planes attacked targets on Luzon, the large northern island, on Tuesday and sank or set on fire another seven Japanese ships and destroyed 19 planes. The attack, he said, was still going on. Tokio had reported heavy American raids yesterday on the Manila district and other places. The latest Japanese report comes after some days’ massive bombardments by American carrier planes against various parts of the Philippines. While these powerful blows were being dealt out another naval task force in the Pacific and also American SuperFortresses from China blasted strongpoints and supply bases on Formosa, on the main sea lane from Japan to the Philippines.