SOUTH OF MANILA

Evening Star, Issue 25400, 3 February 1945, Page 8

SOUTH OF MANILA

ANOTHER LANDING MADE CAPTURE OF CAPITAL IMMINENT WASHINGTON, February 1. General MacArthur to-day announced another new landing, this time on Batangas .beach, south of Manila. Correspondents state that the drive to ■ .Manila may enter the final phase within a few days. The first wave of United States troops landed on five miles of Batan- < gas beach on Wednesday morning without firing a shot and pressed quickly inland through the town of Nasugbu. The operation was not totally bloodless, however, like the invasion of Zambales on Monday. Half an hour after the landing the Japanese, hidden in caves on the northern flank, began using machine-guns and 77's against the beach, but mobile artillery and naval gunfire quickly silenced the enemy. PLANNED' AS RECONNAISSANCE. The landing was originally planned as a reconnaissance in force which would withdraw if the opposition was too tough. Lieutenant-general Eichelbeger, however,. after ' three hours, changed it to a full-scale invasion. '.. The new landings to the south of Manila indicate that the capture of the capital is imminent, says the Associated Press correspondent on Luzon. The drive to Manila may enter the final phase within a few days. The latest reports said that the Japanese possessed insufficient forces for a fight to the finish, in the city's streets. Officials, however, are greatly concerned lest the enemy should destroy Manila before the Americans arrive. The Japanese' are expected at least to destroy all the buildings they are using to house supplies, equipment, and am- . munition as tney did "at Tarlac. " Elements of the Eleventh Division of the Eighth Army landed at Nasugbu," says General MacArthur's communique. " The enemy was again caught off his balance and we landed without loss. "This operation places the Eighth Army on the south side of Manila, which is now the centre of converging columns of the Sixth and Eighth Armies. The landing seals off the possibility of the enemy troops south of ■ Manila joining those to the north, and definitely outflanks the enemy's defence lines. " Patrols continue to operate freely i'i the Second Corps zone of action. An ' -omplete' count shows that over 60 enemy artillery pieces of various calibres not previously were captured or destroyed in the vicinity of Fort Stotsenburg. SAN NICOLAS TAKEN. "The. First Cavalry Division and the Thirty-second Infantry Division from Leyte are i*w fighting on Luzon. " Our forces in the upper Agno , River area seized San Nicolas, six miles beyond San Manuel, and pushed four miles to the east of Tayug. An enemy column which was_ caught between our forces on the Balingao-Umingan roads - was destroyed with heavy losses. " Bombers attacking shipping south of Formosa scored a direct hit on a 10,000-ton tanker and damaged a small freighter."