ENEMY BASTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 127, 25 November 1944, Page 7

ENEMY BASTION

BROKEN BY AMERICANS

VICTORY. WON ON LEYTE

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

WASHINGTON, November 23

General Mac Arthur's communique, which gives the news that the American troops on Leyte, in the Philippines, have crushed the Japanese bastion at Limon and, have driven southward to the Leyte River, adds: "The enemy, in bitter defence of this northern anchor of the Yamashita Line, suffered terrific losses from our artillery and superior infantry fire-power.

"The Japanese First Division was practically destroyed. The enemy attempted ito mount a large-scale coun-ter-offensive, and failed. He was compelled by the aggressive U.S. tactics to a piecemeal and ineffectual commitment of his forces. Attrition through purely ; lpcal fighting threw him on the defensive.

"He has now lost the critical defensive line in a mountainous defile with open, rolling terrain further south in the Ormoc corridor,", says the communique. "The whole Yamashita Line is in danger of being rolled up. Our troops are clearing out scattered enemy parties near Pinamopoan Capoocan. "Our heavy air units bombed supply dumps at Ipil, south of Ormoc destroying, large supply buildings, while our local fighters destroyed an enemy

motor pool and strafed communication lines below Valencia.

"Light naval units operating in the Camotes Island and off the west coast of Leyte sank a small freighter, two luggers ,and three barges loaded with enemy troops, ammunition, and fuel "Enemy air action is light. Our air patrols shot down one plane. The heavy rains continue unabated."